Getting

Back to
Basics
How HCP Communications
are (Somewhat) Shifting Back
to Pre-Pandemic Norms

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 1
Introduction
Healthcare providers have had to make several changes to their communication
practices over the last few years, from embracing telehealth to keeping up with
the firehose of new information coming out regarding the COVID-19 virus.

Now, as the global pandemic wanes and the deluge of new information slows,
many healthcare providers are taking a breath. They are also starting to return to
pre-pandemic modes of communication, such as in-person events and meetings.

In addition, today’s healthcare providers seem to be embracing new ways

of receiving educational information and networking with other healthcare
providers, both online and in person. Thus, healthcare and pharmaceutical
marketers should not remain complacent by relying on the communication
methods that worked during the pandemic. But, at the same time, they should
not fall back on the same pre-pandemic modes of communication.

Instead, they need to navigate a new, more nuanced approach to healthcare

communication, one that respects healthcare providers’ time while also delivering
messaging based on their preferred methods of communication.

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 2
Key Takeaways
It is clear from our recent survey that there has been a shift in how healthcare
providers prefer to interact with their network and marketing partners on this side of
the pandemic. Here are some key takeaways from our 2023 survey.

#1
In-person meetings are starting to make a
comeback, whether with other providers, medical
experts, or marketers.

#2
Educational information remains the most important
form of information HCPs want to receive from marketers,
preferably through email.

#3
Email remains the preferred form of communication
among busy providers, who are spending less time
reading up on professional information outside the office.

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 3
Part 1:
Most Respondents Practice in Offices

The number of HCPs practicing in hospitals has remained relatively

steady since last year, dropping only 3% from 34% practicing in hospitals
in 2021 to 31% in 2022. However, there has been a significant increase
in the number of HCPs practicing in offices (up from 46% to 55%) and
a decrease in the number of respondents practicing in other healthcare
settings (down to 12% from 20%).

These numbers reflect a slow return to pre-pandemic norms as more

providers transition from alternative practice locations to more traditional
office and hospital settings.

What are HCPs

Primary Practice
Setting?

Office Based: 55%

Hospital Based: 31%
Other Healthcare Settings: 12%

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 4
Providers Overwhelmingly Favor
What are HCPs’ preferred
Email Over Other Forms of Outreach
method of receiving industry
communications that inform you
When it comes to communication preferences, the
of industry news, product updates
preferred method of communication has mostly stayed
the same since last year. Our survey found that three-
and announcements, or research
quarters of respondents prefer to be contacted via email and educational opportunities?
for industry communications, which is slightly higher than
last year.

75%
of respondents prefer to
Email: 76%

Professional Conference
Exhibits: 43%
be contacted via email for
industry communciations.
In-Office Visits From
Company Rep.: 29%

Professional conferences continue to be the second most

favored form of communication, rising from 12% preferring
this method in 2021 to 43% in 2022. Direct Mail: 24%

Somewhat surprisingly, direct mail and in-office visits

from company representatives have risen dramatically
since last year, with 24% favoring direct mail and 29% SMS / Text Message: 8%

preferring in-office rep visits. However, in 2021, only 4%

favored direct mail, and 9% preferred in-office visits.

Social Media: 9%
Notably, two preferred communication methods,
professional conferences, and in-office visits, require
face-to-face interaction. The fact that both of these
methods of communication are gaining popularity Phone: 0%
among healthcare providers suggests that HCPs are
eager to return to pre-pandemic forms of communication
that require more in-person interaction, which was limited
Fax: 2%
during the COVID-19 pandemic.

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 5
Smartphones Continue to Be the
Clear Winner for Reading Emails

In our 2021 survey, smartphones were the clear winner for reading
emails, with 50% of respondents citing them as their primary device.

The trend holds in 2022, as 64% of respondents cite smartphones as

their device of choice. However, laptops and desktops are catching
up in a big way, with 45% of HCPs preferring desktops to read emails
and 49% preferring laptops. This may correlate with the fact that
more HCPs are working from an office or hospital. However, our
survey did not directly ask why providers preferred one device over
another for email reading.

Which devices do HCPs prefer to use to read email?

Smartphone Laptop Desktop

64% 49% 45%

Tablet Smartwatch
15% 1%

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 6
 Marketers Should Continue
Delivering Educational Information

Our 2022 survey reveals that educational content is

still the most important type of content HCPs want
to receive from pharmaceutical and medical device
manufacturers, which aligns with last year’s results. The
most favored type of educational content is continuing
medical education programs, followed by product
approvals and prescribing updates, patient education
materials, and industry-sponsored educational events.

As in 2021, providers did not favor thought leadership

information in 2022. New this year, information and
updates about COVID-19 were also not preferred by
many, with only 12.64% of respondents citing it as the
information they want to receive from marketers.

What type of information do HCPs prefer to receive from

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device manufacturers?

Continuing Medical 71%

71%
Education Programs

Product Approvals and 54%

Prescribing Updates

Patient Education 43%

Materials

Industry-Sponsored 41%
Educational Events

Disease State
34%
Information

Info and Updates

13%
about COVID-19

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 7
 Marketers Should Reconsider Sending
Generic Updates
When asked about the most annoying or unhelpful information they
receive from pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers,
HCPs strongly indicated their dislike of receiving non-educational
marketing materials, such as thought leadership pieces, market
research invitations, information about industry-sponsored
webinars and teleconferences, and general information updates on
the healthcare industry.

Updates considered the least annoying surround education,

including continuing medical education programs, industry-
sponsored educational events, and product approvals and
prescribing updates. These responses suggest that the best use of
marketers’ time is to find ways to deliver helpful information rather
than spamming providers with generic information that offers
minimal value to providers and the patients they serve.

What type of information do HCPs dislike receiving from

Pharmaceutical and Medical Device manufacturers?

38% 37%
Thought Market
Leadership Research
Pieces Invitations

32% 30%
Info About General
Industry-Sponsored Info Updates
Webinars and on Healthcare
Telecoferences Industry

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 8
Want to Invite an HCP to an Event?
Send an Email or Office Invite

Providers are open to receiving invitations to events – in certain

formats. The trend we saw in 2021 of HCPs preferring email
invitations over all other forms remains strong in 2022, with 69%
of respondents favoring an email invitation with a website link
for registration over all other forms of invitations.

However, unlike in 2021, this year, the next most favored way
to receive an invitation is through a company representative
?
invitation delivered to the office. In 2021, direct mail was
the second preferred method. A phone call solicitation to
participate remains the very last preferred method in 2022,
which is the same as last year. So, marketers should consider
ditching the phone and instead offering a more personalized
invitation, whether by email or an in-person invite.

Which type of invitations for webinar, teleconference, or

educational events are HCPs most likely to read and respond to?

69% 30% 24% 2%

Email Invite With Company Rep. Direct Mail Phone Call
Website Link for Invite Delivered Invite to the Solicitation to
Registration to the Office Office Participate

Are HCPs allowing medical In-Office Meetings are Gaining Traction

sales representatives to
physically visit their office? In 2021, we were still in the midst of a pandemic, which
meant most providers were resistant to receiving in-office
visits from representatives. This year, the majority of HCPs
Allow In-Office Visits 55% (55%) allow medical sales representatives to make in-office
from Sales Reps
visits. However, 44% still don’t want to talk to reps in person,
although this may or may not be related to the COVID-19
Refuse In-Office Visits 44% pandemic. Our survey did not ask providers to indicate
from Sales Reps their reasons for wanting or not wanting in-office visits from
medical reps.

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 0 9
Demand Continues for a Broad Range
of Patient Support Materials

The general role of healthcare providers has remained the same from
2021 to 2022. Providers continue to serve a range of patients with
varying needs. Thus, there is continued demand for a broad range of
patient support materials. However, the types of materials considered
beneficial and less-than-useful have shifted a bit since 2021.

This year, the materials considered the least useful among our
respondents were related to finding local transitional care resources
for elderly patients. Additionally, materials related to patient
advocacy for patients and caregivers are seen as more useful in 2022
than in 2021. This result may reflect the fields of medicine represented
by the providers we surveyed.

In 2022, respondents cited the most helpful type of material as

patient education for insurance reimbursements and formulary drug
coverage. This contrasts with last year when prescription and medical
device educational resources were the most helpful material. This
change may reflect government mandates that went into effect
in 2021, such as the No Surprises Act. However, our survey did not
expressly ask providers to list a reason for their responses.

HCPs rated the following types of patient support in

terms of how useful they are for their practice.

Low Medium High

Prescription and medical
device educational resources 19% 54% 27%

Patient education for insurance

reimbursements and formulary 39% 34% 27%
drug coverage

Disease state educational 24% 50% 26%

materials

Materials related to finding

local transitional care resources 61% 23% 16%
for elderly patients

Materials related to patient

advocacy for patients 36% 42% 22%
and caregivers

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 1 0
 Evidence-based Online Resources are Trusted
When seeking online
information related to
More Than Others
healthcare products,
The results of our 2021 survey indicated an overall skepticism toward
medical devices, or online medical information. Medscape was the clear winner, with 70% of
disease state knowledge, respondents choosing it when searching online for information related
which websites do HCPs to healthcare products, medical devices, or disease state knowledge.
most commonly visit?
In 2022, UpToDate overtook Medscape as the go-to online resource for
HCPs, with 56% of respondents choosing it when searching online for
information. Medscape is the number two choice, though only half of
the respondents consider it their first choice. In addition, trust in the AMA
website has plummeted, down from 20% in 2021 to under 8% in 2022.
UpToDate: 56%

Medscape: 47%
Fewer HCPs are Using Social Media

AMA website: 8% The results of our 2021 survey overwhelmingly indicated that HCPs
preferred not to use social media for any professional purposes, with
55% of respondents denying the use of social media in a professional
capacity.
An association website host-
ed within my specialty: 33%
In 2022, that has become even clearer, with 60% of respondents saying
they never use social media professionally. The most popular reason
for those using social media is to communicate with other physicians
A Medical Journal and healthcare professionals. 4% of respondents use social media to
Website: 41% communicate with patients.

The Manufacturer’s Do HCPs participate in social networking

product website: 36% sites for professional purposes?

PDR: 15%

60% 31% 4%

ePocrates: 23%

Never use it Use it to communicate Use it to

professionally with other physicians communicate
and healthcare with patients
PubMed: 32%
professionals

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 1 1
Specialized Social Media and Networking
Platforms are Gaining Traction

53%
For HCPs who actively participate in social or professional networks, Facebook
is the most popular platform. Coming in a close second, though, is Doximity,
a social network specifically designed for medical professionals. LinkedIn is
a close third. These responses validate the idea that HCPs who use social
of HCPs use Facebook
for professional reasons.
media for professional reasons primarily seek to network and connect with
other providers and experts rather than interact with patients or others.

Which social or professional networks do HCPs actively participate in?

Facebook: 53%

Doximity: 46%

LinkedIn: 44% 00%

Twitter: 19%

Sermo: 10%

Instagram: 24%

Tik Tok: 12%

Out-of-Office Professional Development

How much time on average
Continues do HCPs spend consuming
professional information
It’s no secret that healthcare professionals are busy people with packed
schedules. So, it may not come as a surprise that most of them take some
when they are not at work?
time outside the office to consume professional information. In 2022,
notably, more HCPs spend 30 – 60 minutes a day consuming professional
information outside of the office than they did in 2021, up from 67% to
None 10%
78%.
30-60 minutes/day: 78%
However, in 2022, zero HCPs consume more than two hours of professional
information a day, down from 7% in 2021. This could indicate that HCPs are 1-2 hours/day: 12%
prioritizing other things when they are outside the office, such as focusing
on their personal lives. On the other hand, it could also be that HCPs are
spending more time in the office this year, so they are consuming more
More than 2 hours/day: 0%
professional information in their workspaces than at home.

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 1 2
Eagerness for Digital
How receptive are HCPs to professional
Advertising Wanes
content in the form of digital advertising
from pharmaceutical, medical device, or
In 2021, 15% of providers were very receptive to
receiving digital advertising communications other healthcare organizations?
from pharmaceutical, medical device, or
other healthcare organizations. While that
was a relatively small number, it dropped
significantly to just over 5% in 2022.

However, all is not lost for marketers.

The majority of HCPs (61%) said they are
somewhat receptive to receiving digital
Very Somewhat Not At All
advertising communications. This year’s Receptive Receptive Receptive
responses may indicate that providers are
becoming more selective about the type of 5% 63% 32%
advertising communications they choose to
read and engage with.

Providers are Starting to Seek

How have HCPs employment
statuses changed since the
Employment Elsewhere
beginning of the COVID-19 Last year when we asked providers how many job changes
pandemic in March 2020? they had made since the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic, 75% indicated that their employment status had
stayed the same. However, this year, when we asked how
many job changes they have made since March 2020, only
No Change: 67% 67% answered that they had not made any changes.

Of the respondents, nearly 30% have made one job change

One Job Change: 30% since March 2020. Those job changes may have taken
place inside the healthcare field or taken respondents to
another industry. If those changes took providers out of the
More Than One Job Change: 4% medical field, it could be a sign of troubling times ahead in
the healthcare industry, which is already struggling with
recruiting and retaining talented healthcare professionals.

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 1 3
About the 2023 HealthLink Dimensions
HCP Communications Survey

5.6M
HealthLink Dimensions conducts this survey annually to gauge how healthcare
providers feel about advertising, communication, and their position in the
greater healthcare industry.
Active Healthcare
This year’s survey was promoted via email, social, and display advertisements Providers
to over 400K MDs and DOs during December of 2022 and January of 2023.
Respondent practice areas include Allergy & Immunology, Anesthesiology,
Cardiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine,

6,900
Family Medicine, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Hospitalists, Internal Medicine,
Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Oncology (Medical and Radiation),
Opthalmology, Otolaryngology, Pain Medicine, Pathology, Pediatrics,
Psychiatry, Pulmonology, Radiology, Surgery (Colon & Rectal), Surgery Hospitals
(Orthopedic), and Urology.

95%
Client Retention

1.7M
Provider Email
Addresses, secured
from 500+ sources,
processed through our
proprietary algorithms

About HealthLink Dimensions

HealthLink Dimensions is the authority in healthcare provider data serving

hospitals, life sciences, and health insurers.

We offer managed data services and enterprise engagement solutions built

on the largest multi-sourced, audited provider email, demographic, and Continuously cleansed
facility database available. and verified in clinical
settings daily by our
Provider Research
Center team

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 1 4
Who We Are

HealthLink Dimensions has focused exclusively on healthcare data

for the last 20 years. Our purpose-driven team comprises healthcare
industry veterans, data analysts, and customer service partners.

HealthLink Dimensions is a trusted partner, offering clients a suite of

solutions — including data verified daily in clinical settings — tailored
to solve their unique healthcare data challenges.

Meet Dr. Smith

CLINICAL
Diagnosis | Open Payment
Prescriptions | Procedures

What Would You Like To C O N TA C T

Ethnicity | Geolocation | Language
Name | Provider ID | Year of Birth

Know About Your Prescribers?

Gain Access
To The Most
BUSINESS
Accepts Medicare | Addresses
Billing Entities | Health Plan
Up-To-Date Participation | Hospital Affiliations
Practice Name | Referrals
HCP Profiles

Hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and their marketing

ENGAGE
Email | Engagement Score | Fax
MAID | Programmatic Targeting Digital ID
Telephone | When To Send

partners choose HealthLink

C R E D EDimensions
NTIALING for the size of its
Board Certification | DEA # | DEA Schedule

clients, the accuracy of its data, and the fine detail provided
Federal Exclusion | Fellowship Program
Medical School | Provider Status | Residency Program
State License | State Sanctions | Taxonomy

about the prescribers they want to reach.

In addition to more than 1.7 million verified email addresses,

clients can get granular with detailed information, including:

Clinical Contact Business Engagement Credentialing

Data Information Information Method

Additional Services

At HealthLink Dimensions, we know optimizing your reach is

essential to your overall marketing strategy. That’s why we
offer additional solutions to partners, including:

• Optimized send times based on artificial intelligence

• Email licensing and deployment

• Programmatic advertising

For a complimentary data analysis or list match, contact

us at 404-250-3900 or visit healthlinkdimensions.com.

H C P C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E P O R T 2 0 2 3 | 1 5