The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life sciences in ways we couldn’t have imagined back in 2019.
As we look ahead to 2022, we expect to see many of these changes evolve into standard practices.
5 Healthcare Marketing Trends to Watch
for in 2022
Here are five trends in life sciences marketing that we should expect to see in 2022.
Trend #1: Decentralized clinical trials
As the world shifted to a virtual format, clinical trials became decentralized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of needing to go to a clinical trial site, patients could participate in clinical trials from the comfort of their homes with remote monitoring from doctors.
Taking away the transportation barrier allows researchers to reach more people who qualify for clinical trials. For example, studies have found that 70 percent of patients live at least two hours away from a clinical trial site, making it cumbersome to participate. At the same time, decentralized clinical trials can increase engagement between patients, researchers, and doctors thanks to technology that keeps all parties connected at all times during the trial.
Trend #2: Privacy concerns will continue to cause headaches for marketers
Marketers have been dealing with the fallout from Apple’s new privacy rules that allow consumers to opt-out of email tracking. This feature rolled out in Fall 2020 and is just the beginning of a new era of privacy for consumers.
In 2022, marketers should expect to see an increase in options for consumers who want to protect their privacy by opting out of different types of tracking. Email will likely take the most brutal hit, as other email providers follow Apple’s lead and provide opt-out options. So, marketers will need to turn to other metrics to determine the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. They’ll need to pay closer attention to keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) along with social media engagement.
Trend #3: Increase in remote monitoring for patients
Patients in clinical trials aren’t the only ones who will benefit from remote engagement with their care providers. In 2022, we expect to see more doctors utilizing tech tools to monitor their patients from home through things like wearable devices.
This will require collaboration between life sciences and consumer technology companies. For example, Best Buy recently acquired the company Current Health to bridge the gap between healthcare and home. As the president of Best Buy Health, Deborah Di Sanzo, says, “the future of consumer technology is directly related to the future of healthcare.”
Trend #4: Improved care with fewer healthcare workers
The healthcare industry is suffering from the great resignation as much as any other industry. The result is that there are fewer healthcare workers taking care of more patients.
The challenge, then, is finding ways to provide quality care with fewer workers. The solution will be digital tools that help the remaining healthcare workers deliver exceptional care. Healthcare marketers will need to frame their messaging about digital tools to drive home that today’s healthcare workers are well equipped to meet their patients’ needs.
Trend #5: Increased use of telemedicine to reach underserved populations
The advancement of telemedicine has been a lifeline for patients who might otherwise struggle to access quality healthcare, such as those living in remote areas. In 2022, we expect to see telemedicine grow even more prevalent among underserved populations.
At the same time, we may see additional regulations as telemedicine becomes mainstream instead of an emergency-use-only form of healthcare.
HealthLink Connect is Here to Help You in 2022
Unsurprisingly, the top trends in healthcare marketing for 2022 revolve around digital tools and technology. It will be more important than ever to use digital tools to reach physicians and healthcare providers.
HealthLink Connect for Life Sciences can help you target, segment, and deliver your marketing messages to the right healthcare audience at the right time through email, programmatic, and mobile. Contact us to learn more!