Welcome. Part of Propeller’s mission and promise is to be at the forefront of digital. We consistently strive to bring innovation and creativity to our healthcare partners and their customers.
It is in this spirit that we curate a quarterly experience, strategically selecting the latest, most important digital marketing trends and tech innovations—and assess the impact each of these has in healthcare, and why it’s important for you to know, now.
Together, let’s be experts and so on the Pulse!
Trust Tech Era
T R E N D # 1
AI App Integration
Integrating AI into existing workflows can save users time, effort, and money
Curated by: Joyce Koch, MedTech Writing
What is it?
As defined by ChatGPT:
AI app integration is the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) technology into existing mobile and web applications to enhance workstreams and simplify processes
AI app integration will enable human insights and data‑driven decision‑making to improve customer support, target advertising, and create transformative, high-stakes products and services
Examples of AI app integration beyond chatbots include: predictive analytics, personalized content creation, image and video recognition, voice‑enabled search, augmented reality, and virtual reality experiences
More large companies are beginning to integrate AI into their established software. In May of 2023, Google announced they would be reimagining their search feature to include answers synthesized by AI that pulls from information found on different sources across the web, and links to those webpages
What it means for healthcare
As AI continues to be integrated into various healthcare apps and programs, it is important for users to trust in the technology and recognize its potential benefits. The addition of AI is helping to streamline the workload of HCPs and office staff by taking over repetitive, time-consuming tasks and shifting responsibility to AI for mundane paperwork
Epic Systems are moving towards bringing AI into electronic health records (EHRs). This will increase productivity of administrative staff by aiding in tasks like drafting asynchronous messages to patients. In its next phase of capabilities, AI will be able to generate data visualization recommendations for physicians without having to manually search data sets
This shift in workload from HCPs and office staff to AI could help ease the current burnout rate by making clinicians’ lives easier and providing more time to focus on in-office patient care
The future of AI app integration in healthcare also goes beyond the doctor’s office. It is being utilized in drug discovery and clinical trials to create process efficiencies through companies like Absci
Spotlight on DocsGPT
Doximity is the largest community of healthcare professionals and aims to address workflow needs and pain points of clinicians. To help streamline clinician paperwork and insurance claims processes, Doximity introduced an AI integration with the addition of their DocsGPT tool.
Still in BETA testing, the DocsGPT integration provides clinicians with the top prompts being used across healthcare offices to address their needs more quickly and simply
With its current capabilities, DocsGPT is able to help with eliminating paperwork, speeding up approvals and sign-offs and making information easier to access
Through the use of DocsGPT AI-enabled technology, enhanced workflows and streamlined processes can improve staff morale and increase patient facetime with clinicians–leading to higher patient satisfaction and reducing the chances of paperwork errors
DocsGPT can be used in real-time at congresses, where users can customize and get legal approval on prompts via an iPad that would share information to drive education and awareness on the brand
T R E N D # 2
AI Audio and Voice Assistants
Harnessing the power of AI to create more personalized audio and voice assistants
Curated by: Ashley McKenna, Experience Strategy
What is it?
As defined by ChatGPT:
AI voice assistants are being trained on larger, more diverse datasets–enabling them to understand natural language to provide more personalized and conversational experiences
Voice assistants can be integrated with other AI technologies, like computer vision and predictive analytics, to provide more personalized recommendations
Voice assistants are being designed to detect and respond to user emotions, such as frustration or excitement, to provide a more empathetic and human-like experience
What it means for healthcare
AI voice assistants are becoming more prevalent in healthcare settings where HCPs can use them to streamline their workflow, from ordering tests to filling out forms
By putting their trust in these technologies, they are further streamlining their efforts and creating greater efficiencies for themselves and their patients
In the next few years, AI voice assistants will be embedded into HCP wearable, hands-free watches and displays to ensure more efficient office visits with diagnostic support, biometric authentication, patient chart information, etc.
For patients, AI voice assistants can pull from an even larger pool of data to provide more informed health information
They can also help patients set up medication reminders, send information to their healthcare providers, and make appointments
AI voice assistant systems can learn algorithms to analyze vocal pitch, tone, cadence, and other patterns to assess the patient’s emotional state, and provide them with information and responses that are more authentic to their needs
SPOTLIGHT ON OBSERVEAI
ObserveAI is an AI‑powered tool that provides organizations with customized insights in real‑time by routing audio and coaching alerts to the right stakeholders, enabling them to take immediate action.
With ObserveAI, companies can act faster with real-time insights to improve performance, leading to more sales and higher retention
ObserveAI allows you to build training modules that educate healthcare professionals on effective observation techniques, covering topics such as non-verbal communication, body language, and facial expression
With this solution, healthcare professionals can improve their communication with patients and provide better diagnoses
Observe AI can map the customer experience journey, identifying pain points and areas for improving customer satisfaction, which could lead to improved customer retention and loyalty
The platform’s data analytics can help analyze sales data and forecast future sales trends, which can be used to adjust sales strategies and increase revenue for a company
T R E N D # 3
Emerging CommunityPlatforms
Challenging established platforms with more personalization and topic-based communities
Curated by: Jason Whaley, Writing
What is it?
As defined by ChatGPT:
New, emerging social media platforms are designed to provide even more customized experiences for users, using advanced algorithms and machine learning to understand their interests and behavior
Many of these platforms also provide users with the opportunity to connect with their followers on a more personalized level through authentic, user-generated photos and content, conversation threads, and ongoing streaming of everyday life
In response to growing concerns over data breaches and cyber attacks, these platforms are designed with a greater emphasis on privacy and security, which could involve advanced authentication technologies and more granular control over user data and privacy settings
What it means for healthcare
The emergence of new social media platforms like Lemon8, Twitch, Discord, and many others create the opportunity for healthcare marketers to provide HCPs and patients alike with more authentic, relevant content through curated images and videos, as well as more authentic conversation channels and livestream footage
Emerging social media platforms such as Discord and Telegram open up new ways for marketers to reach HCPs and patients in a more conversational way, using voice and chat features to address questions in real-time
Social niche platforms also give HCPs and patients the ability to connect with others and search for healthcare support with greater trust in their privacy and data security, due to the enhanced safety measures built into the newer versions of most app interfaces
SPOTLIGHT ON LEMON8
Lemon8 is a new video and photo-sharing social media app providing content that centers around a specific topic, such as fashion, beauty, food, wellness, and travel.
A mix between Instagram and Pinterest, the content under each topic on Lemon8 includes suggestions, recommendations, and short videos that are curated and aesthetically pleasing
In the future, we predict Lemon8 will be utilized by HCPs and patients as a place to go and learn from their peers about various wellness- and health-related topics
Similar to TikTok and Instagram, healthcare influencers on Lemon8 will influence peer prescribing habits and provide disease state education through visually appealing posts and short, digestible video clips
T R E N D # 4
NEW SOCIAL VERIFICATION PROCESSES
Understanding the latest social media guidelines for proving your authenticity
Curated by: Nudrat Zoha, Experience Strategy
What is it?
As defined by ChatGPT:
Social Verification is used to confirm the authenticity of high-profile users and, more recently, has been available to everyday users to confirm their identity and better protect them from impersonation and identity theft
Social media platforms are implementing real-time verification processes, such as using facial recognition and other biometric technologies to verify a user’s identity before allowing them to create an account or make changes to their profile
What it means for healthcare
Social verification plays an important role in healthcare professionals and brands proving their legitimacy on social media to assure users that the information they are providing is authentic and accurate. These new processes are meant to renew the users’ trust in social platforms
Twitter and Instagram both recently rolled out a blue check mark purchase option, allowing users to buy their verification status instead of having to go through the normal stringent process to prove they are a verified individual
This can pose a challenge to many looking for reliable and accurate information around disease education and/or information about a certain drug from an expert
This can also cause issues for digital opinion leader partnerships, as the ability to purchase verification makes it harder for brands to identify if a healthcare professional’s profile is legitimate or falsified
Users are now being encouraged to use multiple outlets to verify the information they are consuming on social media, such as looking up healthcare professionals mentioned in a post to see if they are published or if they have a Sermo or Doximity profile
Spotlight on the new Meta Verified
The latest social platforms to switch up their verification processes are Instagram and Facebook with the introduction of Meta Verified in early 2023.
Meta Verified is a paid subscription bundle to help you establish your presence on Instagram and Facebook
Anyone 18 years or older can become Meta Verified with a government issued ID, making it widely available and lessening the credibility the check mark used to have
While credibility remains a concern among established influencers, it also provides users with fewer followers who are authentic, legitimate accounts the opportunity to get verified and boost their presence and following
T R E N D # 5
ONLINE DATA PRIVACY
Evolving rules and regulations to protect user data
Curated by: Kelsey Bross, Innovation & Growth Strategy
What is it?
As defined by ChatGPT:
Online data privacy is the protection of personal information that is shared or collected online, such as a user’s name, address, phone number, email, or other sensitive details
Privacy laws are being adjusted in 2023 to better protect users in the face of growing concerns over data breaches, cyber attacks, and online privacy violations
Tech companies and social media platforms are implementing enhanced privacy features, such as end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and more granular privacy settings, to give users greater control over their data and protect their online identities in compliance with new and emerging privacy laws
3rd Party Cookies, or text files with small pieces of data that are used to identify your computer, are becoming obsolete. Companies are now using alternative technologies, such as contextual advertising and first-party data, which aim to provide more privacy-friendly options for advertisers
What it means for healthcare
Targeted advertising effectively and efficiently reaches specific HCP and patient populations with a personalized approach, and third party data plays a large part in this ability. It’s important that policies to collect user data are in place to protect users and their information
As we move forward in this digital age, patients are demanding greater control over their personal health information, including the ability to access, manage, and share it as they see fit—more than ever, healthcare marketers need to establish patient trust, so they feel more in control of their own sensitive data
This has led to the development of new tools and platforms that allow patients to securely access and share their health data with providers and other stakeholders such as CareCloud, a cloud-based platform for electronic health records and patient experience management
Tech and health companies are also joining forces to protect data. For instance, Google Health has partnered with Ascension to develop tools using machine learning to improve patient care and outcomes alongside protecting patient data
SPOTLIGHT ON GRAHAM MEDIA’S GMID
GMID is a new ID system developed by Graham Media that iGoogle is now using to help replace cookies for tracking and targeting users with personalized advertising.
The system relies on first-party data (data collected directly from users) and contextual data (information about the content being viewed) to build user profiles and target personalized ads
It uses machine learning algorithms to analyze this data and identify patterns and preferences, allowing advertisers to deliver more relevant and effective ads
It also delivers more accurate targeting without relying on third-party data or invasive tracking technologies, which can lead to higher engagement rates and better ROI for advertisers
