EHR Ads that Really Work

ePI Insights
Written By Jacquelyn Crane

It’s no secret that most physicians aren’t fans of ads in their EHRs. EHRs are clinical tools, after all, used in those point-of-care moments traditionally considered private—even sacred.

Fewer and fewer EHRs are allowing pharma advertisements, so when you work with your media and creative agencies, it’s imperative that you design ads that make the best use of those limited opportunities.

We found ten doctors who were (somewhat reluctantly) open to the idea of discussing pharmaceutical messaging within their EHR, and we asked them to tell us what types of messages would be positively received within those workflows. Overall, their responses showed a preference for messages intended to provide information to a doctor who is already considering the product, rather than messages intended to sell a completely new product. 

The Bottom Line: 

  • Let your field teams and other channels focus on selling. Use your space in the EHR to support the decision to prescribe.

  • Align the purpose of your message to the purpose of the EHR: clinical efficiency, not product promotion.

  • Provide information that is not always available in the EHR, but is necessary to ensure a valid prescription, such as dosing plans, prescribing tips, and the best ways to access your product.

Jacquelyn Crane

Jacquelyn Crane, RN, BSN, is President of The Think Patients Companies. Jackie began her career in direct patient care and provided clinical workflow consultations through her organization’s EHR implementation. She joined Think Patients as an analyst and operations manager embedded at a major pharmaceutical manufacturer, where she helped develop and scale one of the industry’s first Digital Innovation groups. As client needs grew, Jackie advanced to a leadership role at Think Patients, co-founding Corvus Solutions and co-creating the concept of electronic product identity.

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