Environmental Questions – landscape for sponsored pharma content in U.S. EHRs

A: Some EHRs do allow pharma marketing content, some don’t. Specific details vary across platforms. Many EHRs have developed mature sponsored marketing capabilities that are used by pharmaceutical manufacturers. It is important to understand the nuances from platform to platform to develop a plan to communicate effectively.
A: Keep in mind that providers rely on EHRs to document and deliver care, and dislike simple advertisements that distract them from those goals. However, many providers will find sponsored messaging helpful when it is served in the right moment and is designed to highlight highly relevant information.
A: Sponsored content appears on screen within the EHR, though user experience can vary by system. In some systems, contextual messages are enabled while others display banners. In addition to messaging, links to patient resources are typically permitted and constitute a good example of highly relevant content that can help inform providers.
A: Opportunities for pharma-sponsored content in EHRs are greater than you might think. Epic and Oracle, the largest enterprise EHRs, leave pharma sponsored content decisions up to their customers. Health Care Organization (HCO) leaders typically determine related local policies and few have opted in. On the other hand, hundreds of ambulatory and specialty EHRs used by over a million providers serve sponsored content every day.
A: Programmed campaign logic determines when pharma-sponsored content appears to healthcare providers. Message placements are triggered by combinations of individual provider and de-identified patient population data. To build the logic, including rules for placement, pharma brands must partner with their Medical, Legal and Regulatory teams to verify that messages are appropriate for inclusion in specific steps of care (provider login, encounter preparation, patient diagnosis, treatment decision, prescription, patient fulfillment).

Data Questions – issues to consider when planning and creating campaigns

A: Data used in EHR marketing vary by supplier, but they all rely on National Provider Identifiers, also known as NPI numbers, to identify and build audiences. Like Social Security numbers, U.S. providers each have unique NPI numbers. In addition, de-identified patient data including demographics such as age or gender, as well as anonymized medical details including disease diagnosis, treatment history, test results, insurance coverage and more are combined with NPI to trigger content when it’s relevant. Tactic targeting data is different from campaign outcomes data, but both require significant due diligence, documentation, and stewardship.
A: Implementing brand segmentation into the EHR plan is critical. In fact, top-performing. EHR campaigns start with brand segmentation and related opportunity analysis, but they don’t stop there. Rather than set-it-and-forget-it, successful marketers continue to rigorously check and verify implementation regularly. They also frequently revisit performance and adjust priorities. Considering how much pharma brands invest into understanding their customers, not translating this robust research into EHR messaging implementation is a major missed opportunity. Point-of-Care Media can assist in managing the segmentation.
A: Potentially, yes. EHR messaging suppliers have developed connections to a surprisingly large number of providers who work in settings that don’t allow sales representatives, or in locations where it’s impractical for them to visit. Brand segmentation analysis can reveal the size of this important audience.
A: The best practice for developing campaign logic for sponsored messaging is to begin with the end in mind by developing a list of scenarios when messages would be most relevant to providers. Next, MLR (medical, legal, regulatory) partners must review the scenarios to verify they are appropriate. Scenarios should then be prioritized to prepare for tradeoff decisions when available budgets are factored. After that, development of decision tree maps simplifies approvals as well as campaign programming.
A: Fewer EHRs are open to unbranded messages prior to provider treatment decisions than to branded messages shown during ePrescription. But significant opportunities are available with similar technical implementation. Point-of-Care Media recommends close MLR consultation from the earliest steps of campaign and related goal development.

Planning Questions – themes to consider when exploring EHR marketing

A: Determining which channels are right for a specific brand is a key marketing challenge. One EHR messaging strength is that EHR is the only channel that delivers messages specifically during key moments of care consideration—when treatment and prescribing decisions are being made – triggered by multiple types of data to drive extraordinary relevance.
A: To reach customers during the moment when treatment decisions are made, pharmaceutical marketers should begin by creating a list of key details about eligible patients based on the brand’s indication(s). This list can then be used to develop a variety of appropriate messaging scenarios. Once the scenarios are established, the last step is to partner with experts to program campaign logic that serves content when – and only when – these scenarios occur.
A: Numerous software companies have developed the ability to serve pharma sponsored content during digital care. Each has unique strengths and weaknesses. But none has achieved market dominance. To achieve content campaign scale, pharma brands must assemble multiple puzzle pieces. Point-of-Care Media recommends developing campaigns that include the best components of numerous suppliers after closely reviewing their unique reach, costs, and data details.
A: EHR messaging suppliers can deliver surprisingly granular campaign performance data – a critical input to determine ROI . Unfortunately, since universal standards have not been established, their data quality, frequency and specific details can be highly variable. Point-of-Care Media recommends engaging experts to manage data quality assurance, manage independent ROI experiments and deliver campaign optimization insights. For a list of 5 keys to consider when planning for an EHR messaging campaign, click here.
A: Medical, Legal, Regulatory (MLR) and related approvers must apply the same fair balance requirements necessary for any form of pharmaceutical marketing. They also must consider unique questions about fair market value for the costs of sponsored marketing in EHRs; provider and system consent management; HIPAA rules for patient data utilization and more. Point-of-Care Media offers support services to develop all documentation necessary to ensure brand campaigns are ethical and compliant.

Data Questions Part Two – issues to consider when reviewing and renewing campaigns

A: Most, but not all, sponsored messaging suppliers are capable of delivering campaign results on an individual provider basis. They typically offer confirmation of impressions, defined as each paid placement event. Some additionally offer confirmation of engagement, often defined as clicks.
A: Supplier reporting capabilities vary considerably. Some are able to return initial information within a business week of tactic delivery. Others need several months for first readouts and set expectations for even longer periods before finalization. Point-of-Care Media navigates this challenge by separating early indicators and lagging indicators reporting. Early indicators focus on tracking monthly progress against customer touchpoint goals. Lagging indicators reporting concentrates on fully validating Return on Investment (ROI) biannually.
A: Message cadence is a strategic decision based primarily on customer centricity, and then secondarily on specific brand goals and available budget. By closely analyzing these considerations it’s possible to yield significant campaign performance improvements. On the other hand, without analysis, messaging campaigns often unintentionally oversaturate some providers while missing others. Strong campaigns typically leverage frequency caps to manage this issue and prevent annoying key customers.
A: Separating EHR messaging’s unique performance from the rest of a brand’s marketing can be challenging. Conducting rigorous, independent ROI experiments that remove a significant, statistically validated control group from the rest of the audience is the best way to prove outcomes.
A: When studied, campaign performance data yields insights about the frequency and pattern of consideration events brands have prioritized. When compared to prescription fulfillment outcomes data, it’s possible to identify averages, outliers, trends, and abandonment patterns.

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