Next-generation source of authority (SOA) sites are redefining the healthcare landscape offering a fresh approach that prioritizes healthcare provider (HCP) needs over promotional content. Designed around the “jobs to be done” framework, these platforms deliver tailored solutions that empower providers while creating win-win scenarios for both HCPs and pharma brands.
While traditional SOAs have aimed to support HCPs, they often fall short of expected standards. These sites focus on advertising, which many HCPs find intrusive and unhelpful and fail to offer tools that support HCPs in their daily tasks. This combination of excessive promotion and lack of effective tools has resulted in frustration and a lack of meaningful engagement.
Another key challenge is the growing ineffectiveness of traditional brand assets, such as websites or promotional materials. HCPs perceive these as overly promotional and fragmented, which has led to a loss of trust. As one HCP said, “I don’t have time for overly promotional content. I need clear, unbiased information that actually helps my patients.” This sentiment underscores the growing demand for more practical, non-promotional solutions.
What makes next-generation SOAs different?
1. Focused on Jobs to Be Done
Next-gen SOAs are designed to solve these issues by focusing on the “jobs to be done.” These websites aim to address HCPs’ real needs, from simplifying workflows to offering instant access to actionable insights. Unlike traditional SOAs, which lack the necessary tools for HCPs, Next-Gen SOAs come equipped with advanced tooling to support their professional tasks. By prioritizing utility over promotion, pharma can create a seamless experience that aligns with HCPs’ responsibilities, empowering them to deliver better care.
2. Non Promotional and Trust-Based
By eliminating traditional advertising, next-generation SOAs create a non-promotional environment that resonates with HCPs. This approach prioritizes trust and credibility, enabling healthcare professionals to focus on accessing valuable resources and actionable insights without distractions. By positioning the platform as a supportive partner rather than a sales channel, pharma can strengthen relationships with HCPs and enhance their engagement in a way that aligns with their professional responsibilities.
3. Leveraging New AI Technologies
AI adoption is on the rise across industries, and healthcare is no exception. Today’s healthcare providers aren’t just exploring AI out of curiosity—they are actively seeking tools that streamline their workflows, enhance patient care, and help them get the job done efficiently in an increasingly complex environment. One of the standout features of Next-Gen SOAs is their integration of AI-powered tools. Whether matching HCPs with the most relevant resources or suggesting cost-effective treatment options for patients, AI brings unprecedented efficiency and precision to the table.
4. A Win-Win for Pharma and HCPs
Brands and HCPs share a common goal: to help get their patients on therapy. Next-Gen SOAs facilitate this goal and provide a win for everyone involved—HCPs, pharma brands, and most importantly, patients. For HCPs, these advanced solutions reduce barriers, simplify workflows, and provide access to essential tools that enable them to focus on what matters most: delivering the best care to their patients. For pharma brands, this means fostering stronger, trust-based relationships with HCPs, leading to greater engagement, increased script lift, and measurable ROI. Patients benefit from smoother access to the right therapies ensuring better health outcomes. Together, this collaborative model aligns all stakeholders toward the shared goal of improving patient care while achieving success at every level.
Learning from Other Industries
The success of digital transformation in industries like travel, retail, and real estate serves as a roadmap for pharma. Platforms such as Kayak and Zillow have mastered the art of delivering value through user-centric design, seamlessly integrating data and tools to enhance the customer experience. Next-gen SOAs bring these principles to healthcare, demonstrating how tech-enabled solutions can revolutionize complex workflows.
The Future of HCP Engagement
Tools that help HCPs in their work are making waves in the healthcare community, steadily capturing healthcare providers’ minds—and trust. By cutting through the chaos of traditional engagement methods, these platforms deliver what HCPs have long been asking for: seamless, intuitive, and impactful tools that empower them to focus on what matters most—patient care.
Providers are increasingly embracing these systems, drawn to their ability to simplify workflows and eliminate the noise of overly promotional content. As the industry embraces these innovative platforms, the potential to enhance HCP engagement and drive better outcomes grows exponentially.
The future of pharma is here, and it’s being shaped by the forward-thinking design of Next-Gen SOAs. These platforms promise to redefine engagement and transform the healthcare landscape, ensuring better results for providers, brands, and patients.
To see a next-generation SOA in action, visit and discover how we’re transforming HCP engagement with innovative, non-promotional solutions.