All About the EHR: A Q&A on Digital EHR Marketing for HCP Engagement

Digital EHR marketing has become one of the most effective ways for life science brands to reach healthcare providers (HCPs) at meaningful moments in the care journey. As more vendors enter the market with varying claims, many marketers are trying to understand what “EHR advertising” really means and how it fits within omnichannel HCP engagement. 

To bring clarity to this topic, we spoke with Louis Trivento, SVP of Strategic Partnerships at OptimizeRx, about how EHR placements work, how physicians perceive them, and how brands can use targeting and measurement to drive performance. 

Thanks for joining us today Louis! Let’s start with the big picture. Why does the EHR matter in omnichannel HCP engagement programs? Why is the “point of prescribe” so effective?   

Thank you! I’m always excited to talk about EHR advertising, as it’s possibly the most valuable channel for reaching and engaging HCPs.  

The EHR (Electronic Health Record) sits at the center of clinical decision-making. It’s where diagnoses are confirmed, treatment plans are developed, and prescriptions are written. Because of this, digital EHR marketing connects brand information to specific patient encounters—something few other channels can do. 

If you put the EHR in the context of omnichannel HCP engagement, EHR advertising acts as the conversion engine that turns broad awareness into action. Historically, OptimizeRx program data shows average script lifts of 19–25%, based on an analysis of NPI-level prescribing, which is well above what you see from most other channels. 

What about physicians? How do they feel about manufacturer-sponsored content in their EHR? 

We’ve found that HCPs generally view well-designed EHR content as helpful, not intrusive. In a 2023 independent survey conducted by REACH Market Research, 68% of physicians listed the EHR as one of their top channels to access brand information, and this aligns with what we know about the realities of clinical practice. 

• HCPs are balancing an insane number of demands for their time, such as more patient visits, increasing paperwork and administrative tasks 

• The sheer number of new treatment options, line extension, indication expansions, etc. mean there is an overwhelming amount of information to stay on top of. 

• While the EHR is rich in terms of patient data, it isn’t always optimized for effective therapy design and initiation. 

Anything that helps HCPs find and prioritize the most relevant information quickly and effectively is a boon, and EHR advertising is especially effective at addressing this challenge. 

Can you talk about the types of EHR and point of care placements available? How do they support HCP decision-making? 

“Point of care” marketing increasingly refers to a wide range of tactics, such as waiting room screens, telehealth platforms, pharmacy placements, etc., not all of which come into play during the HCP/patient conversation. The EHR is really the crown jewel of these channels, for the reasons I described earlier, so I’m going to focus on those. . 

Within the EHR, there are opportunities to engage HCPs throughout the care journey, increasing in precision as that journey progresses. We can group these into three general stages: 

1. HCP login and authentication, which is ideal for general awareness messaging or product updates—a key clinical benefit, newly approved indication, to name a few.  

You mentioned that messages can be personalized based on patient real-world EHR data. Can you talk more about targeting and optimization? 

What’s great about the EHR is that there are multiple ways to target and deliver brand information, so brands can focus impressions where they have the greatest chance of  conversion. There are three general approaches we employ: 

1. NPI based targeting: This delivers impressions based on matches with the brand’s NPI list, so it’s a very easy way to get started in the EHR, and ideal for brands that want to take a conservative approach to using patient data in their targeting. Match rates can vary based on the specialty area, but we tend to see around 70% match rates for our programs. 

  2. “Trigger” based targeting: This approach serves ads in response to certain data values in patient     
      charts/records, such as a specific ICD10, NDC, etc. It’s a great way to refine message delivery to align with the          patient an HCP is currently treating, which typically leads to higher conversion. 

How can EHR advertising be tied to business outcomes like patient starts, script lift, referrals, new writers, etc.? 

Our clients really value that our EHR programs are  fully transparent, down to the NPI level. Not only does that mean they can see weekly updates on campaign activity and engagement by HCP, but we can directly report on NPI-level behavioral changes – increased script volume, new writers, and more. That means it’s very straightforward for our clients to see how the program investment translates into commercial brand outcomes. 

Ok, final question. Given how many different EHRs and health systems exist across the US, are these advertising programs scalable? 

Absolutely! That’s actually one of the biggest advantages we offer. OptimizeRx’s point of care network includes 300+ EHR and e-prescribe partners, plus multiple health systems. Instead of going platform-by-platform, it’s the proverbial one stop shop, and that streamlines everything from activation to reporting. 

If we take a step back and think about the larger omnichannel ecosystem and our other advertising partners, then our network stretches to over 2.1 million prescribers and care teams. It makes the process of finding and engaging HCPs across the country more turnkey, and our clients really appreciate the level of integrated access we can provide. 

Learn more about OptimizeRx’s EHR and point of care solutions for life science marketers.