In an era where media budgets chase clicks, conversions, first-party data and precision targeting, there’s one place where communication personalization can—and should—naturally thrive: the point of care (POC).
It’s where often siloed pharma and OTC brand campaigns finally intersect with each other with a goal of influencing patient outcomes.
Yet this fleeting moment, where HCP guidance and patient decision-making collide, remains wildly and effectively under-leveraged by brands.
The High-Stakes Opportunity at POC
According to the Point-of-Care Marketing Association, 74% of patients and HCPs say that education delivered at the point of care directly influences what happens next. Whether it’s sparking a conversation (58%), prompting online research (38%), or resulting in a new prescription (34%), this is not a soft brand moment—it’s a trigger for action.
Even more, 82% of patients say they value the information they receive in-office—a stark contrast to increasingly distrusted digital spaces. A recent Veeva Crossix study found just 14% of media spend in POC accounted for 35% of new patient starts, underscoring its unique ability to convert attention into outcomes.
Where It Falls Short—and How to Rethink It
The following three key areas are places where branded point-of-care engagement and support has traditionally seen limitations and challenges, presenting brands with opportunities to rethink and push strategies that enable these interactions to create greater value for all stake holders.
Disconnected brand communications between HCP and Patient
Marketers are rightly obsessed with the journey—but too often forget that the moment of decision isn’t always online. It's in the clinic. It’s when trust is highest, when intent is clearest, and when clinician guidance can accelerate brand adoption. Too often, pharma brands treat HCPs and patients as separate audiences on parallel tracks—each with their own campaigns, channels, and KPIs. But the truth is, they converge at the point of care. That’s where the brand either shows up as a helpful guide—or disappears into the background noise. When we coordinate HCP and patient messaging, we’re not just syncing tactics—we’re shaping a shared experience rooted in clarity, confidence, and connection.
Rethinking it:
1. Instead of creating siloed messages, develop patient and HCP content from a shared core narrative—centered around the treatment decision moment. Ensure the patient-facing materials prepare individuals to ask relevant questions, while HCP-facing content anticipates and supports that dialogue. This creates a cohesive, patient-HCP exchange rather than disjointed impressions.
2. Break down the walls between brand teams by bringing patient and HCP marketers into shared planning sessions. Co-create campaign concepts that anticipate how messaging will play out in the clinical setting—especially at critical “moments of influence.”
3. Map out the patient journey and HCP workflow to time campaigns when they're most likely to intersect. For instance, ensure awareness-driving DTC campaigns are active ahead of seasonal visits or diagnosis peaks, while POC and EHR messaging guides the final treatment discussion. Synchronizing campaign phases boosts relevance and recall.
Seamless Technology Integration
Even with a more coordinated brand communication strategy between HCPs and patients, POC strategy also needs to evolve from static posters and generic brochures to a sophisticated, data-informed channel. The moment of decision—the point where trust meets treatment—is still rooted in the office visit. And that moment is ripe for reinvention. Evolving POC integration into more places and platforms can change this—embedding affordability messaging directly into consultation tools, enabling HCPs to hand off co-pay support as part of their workflow. And for patients, seamless follow-up and care guidance content between the exam room and their at-home research.
Rethinking it:
1. AI can enable hyper-personalized patient and HCP experiences by analyzing EMR data, patient histories, social determinants, and real-time inputs. Instead of static educational materials, systems can generate or recommend dynamic content tailored to the patient’s profile, literacy level, and health stage—right as they check in or consult with their doctor.
2. Generative AI can power in-office kiosks, apps, or printouts with on-demand explanations in multiple languages or at various reading levels – designed to meet the patients’ specific needs for care rather than simply receive generic messaging and information. With 85% of HCPs endorsing condition-specific checkout materials, but 34% saying current education and support is too complex, clarity and customization must go hand-in-hand.
3. POC doesn’t stop at the exam room door. AI can curate follow-up content, nudge actions, or notify HCPs of progress, better connecting in-office moments with out-of-office follow-up—like reminders, wearable data integration, and HCP-patient messaging—ensuring continuity of care and campaign effectiveness. Analyzing patient behaviors post-visit—such as whether they filled a prescription, watched follow-up content—data can then optimize future POC engagements, further fueling more effective messaging and support tools, closing the loop between exposure and outcome—not just reporting ROI but improving it.
POC channel cost and ROI measurement
Measuring cost and ROI in the point of care (POC) channel presents a unique set of challenges, largely due to its fragmented ecosystem and lack of standardized attribution. With content appearing across a mix of digital and physical touch points—from EHR systems and patient handouts to exam room posters and waiting room screens—it's difficult to isolate the impact of each element on prescribing behavior or patient engagement. Further complicating matters, data transparency varies widely across partners, making it tough to validate impressions, engagement, or downstream outcomes.
Rethinking it:
1. Rather than viewing POC in isolation, integrate it into broader multi-touch attribution models. Leverage patient-level data (PLD), when available, to track exposure across channels and link it to prescription behavior, using probabilistic modeling to account for POC influence.
2. Move beyond impressions to metrics tied to actual behavior—such as content clicks within EHRs, coupon downloads, or confirmed patient inquiries. These "micro-conversions" can serve as stronger proxies for ROI than vanity metrics.
3. Deepen integrations with EHR vendors who can provide richer behavioral data. Collaborate to design custom POC interventions that embed educational content directly into the clinical workflow, enabling more precise tracking and outcome alignment.
4. Allocate a portion of POC spend for controlled pilots where messaging, creative, and locations can be A/B tested. Use geographic holdouts or matched-market analysis to assess lift in prescribing or patient activation—offering cleaner, cause-effect insights.
Building Towards Integrated Conversations: Designing for the Point of Care
By applying design thinking to both the HCP and patient journeys, brands can shift from isolated campaigns to truly support integrated point of care experiences. Starting by mapping the real-world context: What questions are patients asking when they enter the exam room? What concerns are HCPs juggling in that same moment? Where do those emotional and clinical needs overlap? Journey mapping that includes both perspectives reveals critical intersections—places where the brand can deliver clear, consistent, and emotionally resonant support.
This approach isn’t just about alignment—it’s about empathy. When HCP-facing materials echo the tone, visuals, and language patients have already seen, conversations feel more natural. When patient tools reinforce what was discussed during the consult, trust deepens. The point of care becomes a cohesive brand moment, not a handoff between silos.
Smart brands aren’t just broadcasting—they’re designing experiences. That means starting with real human journeys, and building coordinated, thoughtful content that empowers both sides of the conversation.
Point-of-care should no longer be regarded or looked at just a static and channel—it’s a personalization engine hiding in plain sight.
Let’s build for it.