For all the investment that pharma makes in engaging patients and providers, the disconnect at the point of care remains stubbornly persistent. Patients and providers routinely enter the exam room with different information, different expectations, and different priorities.
The consequence is predictable: conversations stall, opportunities are missed, and brand influence falls short at the most decisive moment of the healthcare journey.
What if, instead, patient intent and provider readiness could connect in the right way, at the right moment? That’s the promise of a 360° data strategy: creating a single, collaborative conversation where both sides are aligned and brands can make a measurable impact.
Silos between DTC and HCP are a missed opportunity
Part of the problem is structural. Pharma marketing has traditionally divided efforts: DTC campaigns drive patient awareness and patient request, while HCP campaigns focus on physician education. Each has its role, but too often they operate in parallel, reinforcing the very silos that separate patients and providers.
The data reflects the gap. According to a physician survey conducted by OptimizeRx, some 70% of HCPs agree that when patient- and provider-facing messaging aligns in terms of condition education, treatment awareness, and care journey context, it helps streamline care. Yet only 13% report seeing that alignment in practice.
Meanwhile, patients continue to do extensive online research—71% won’t book with a provider who lacks sufficient online information, according to a Tebra Patient Perspectives Report. Yet reviews and generic awareness campaigns only scratch the surface of what patients and providers need to have a productive treatment discussion.
The result is that pharma may spend on impressions that build awareness but fail to convert in the exam room, because patient and provider readiness have not been addressed in parallel.
A trusted data foundation is the missing link
The first step is building a reliable, comprehensive data foundation that puts digital behaviors into context.
Without this type of foundation, marketers have half a story. They may know a patient is exploring treatment options, but not whether that patient is about to book an appointment with a high-value prescriber. They may know a provider’s prescribing history, but not that a motivated patient is about to raise a brand-specific question in the exam room.
But once you know who a provider is, what they treat, and how they prescribe, then real-time patient behaviors—like engaging with a profile, searching for a condition, or exploring treatment options—become actionable insights.
To that end, a rigorous foundation must integrate multiple vetted sources:
- Medical claims to demonstrate experience and treatment history.
- Provider directories to maintain accuracy on who is practicing and where.
- ICD-10 coding to align conditions with precision.
- Outcomes data to establish real-world performance.
This foundation ensures that what you see in the digital moment is not just another click or query, but a signal tied to real-world clinical context.
360° data transforms intent and readiness into impact
Once the foundation is in place, the next step is connecting intent and readiness. This is where a 360° data strategy comes into play—linking what patients are actively signaling with how providers are prepared to respond.
When these signals are connected, both sides of the exam-room conversation are primed. Patients feel confident that their research aligns with their provider’s expertise, and providers are prepared to engage with informed patients and discuss treatment options in context.
For pharma brands, that alignment translates into more productive conversations, reduced waste, and greater influence at the moment of decision.
Closing the patient-provider gap when it matters
Healthgrades data shows that 67% of visitors who search for a doctor book an appointment within a week, and more than 80% book within a month. At the same time, a small subset of physicians is responsible for prescribing more than 90% of branded therapies.
That means the opportunity is highly concentrated: the right patients are signaling intent, and the right providers are positioned to act.
For pharma marketers, the opportunity is to move beyond siloed strategies and embrace data approaches that unify patient and provider journeys. A 360° data foundation creates that single, collaborative conversation—reducing wasted impressions, elevating outcomes, and driving measurable brand impact.