Pooja S Banerjee
The medical communications field is rapidly evolving to keep pace with busy healthcare professionals (HCPs), stringent regulations, and the demand for more value-driven information. Emerging trends include new formats for scientific publications and education (e.g. visual and modular content, microlearning), innovative pharma marketing approaches (omnichannel engagement, personalisation, and digital tactics), greater integration of real-world evidence (RWE) and health economics outcomes research (HEOR) into communications and increasing engagement levels among HCPs and key opinion leaders (KOLs).
1. Scientific publications & medical education trends
The shift is clear; to truly connect with HCPs, medical content must evolve from static pages to dynamic, interactive experiences that fit seamlessly into their daily workflow. Dynamic and multimedia content formats: Traditional dense articles and lectures are giving way to more concise, visual, audio, and modular content delivery. For instance, journals now often produce visual abstracts summarising key findings in one graphic. These concise, pictorial summaries make it easier for busy readers to immediately grasp a study’s highlights. By distilling complex results into infographics, visual abstracts boost the accessibility and shareability of scientific research. For instance, the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA frequently share visual abstracts alongside full-text publications. These graphics often combine a simplified study design, key statistics, and clinical implications in one digestible format.
Increasingly, similar principles are applied to audio and video formats, such as short podcasts or explainer videos that summarise complex studies for time-pressed HCPs.
Microlearning and modular education: In medical education, there is a move toward bite-sized learning and flexible content. Microlearning modules deliver information in small, digestible chunks, for example, short videos, podcasts or case study vignettes released over days or weeks. This caters to HCP’s tight schedules, as they may not have time for hour-long lectures. Presenting educational content in modular formats has been shown to improve knowledge retention and clinician confidence. Continuing medical education (CME) providers deploy microlearning via mobile apps, email series, or interactive web platforms, allowing doctors to engage in 5-10-minute learning sessions in their own time. This modular approach also means content can be repurposed across formats, for example, a set of core scientific messages can be broken into a webinar series, a podcast, and an infographic, ensuring consistency while matching different learning preferences. Gamification is increasingly being incorporated into medical training, using quizzes, points, and competitions to drive deeper engagement and sustained participation, while reinforcing key learning objectives.
Social media and “infotainment” in science: HCPs and even patients increasingly consume medical information through social media platforms. European medical societies and journals frequently share “tweetorials” and quick video summaries while platforms like X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube serve as knowledge-sharing tools for clinicians. This has given rise to Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs), clinicians who are influential online and those who distil and discuss new studies on social media. The trend is towards more engaging, bite-sized, and visually appealing scientific communication, moving away from text-heavy formats to meet HCPs on the channels they use.
However, this trend also brings challenges such as the rapid spread of medical misinformation, making accuracy and credibility more critical than ever. In this digital space, where attention spans are short, grabbing a reader’s attention within the first few seconds requires a specific skillset, combining scientific accuracy with creative, visually appealing, and bite-sized formats that resonate with diverse audiences.
2. Pharma marketing communications: Innovations in HCP engagement
Omnichannel engagement: Pharmaceutical companies are embracing omnichannel strategies to provide a seamless experience for HCPs across multiple touchpoints. Unlike traditional multichannel marketing, an omnichannel approach integrates these channels into one cohesive journey. In practice, this means an HCP might attend a webinar and then receive a personalised follow-up email with relevant resources, or a marketing representative visit might be complemented by an interactive app. The goal is continuous conversation rather than disjointed messages. This approach is already a reality; omnichannel communication that “connects multiple touchpoints (emails, webinars, social media, face-to-face, etc.) into a single, continuous conversation” with HCPs. It ensures consistent messaging while allowing HCPs to engage via their preferred channels. A connected strategy not only feels more personalised to the physician but also helps companies track engagement and avoid redundant or conflicting outreach. Personalisation at scale: Hand-in-hand with omnichannel delivery is the drive toward personalised content for HCPs. Rather than one-size-fits-all marketing messages, companies are using data to tailor communications to a doctor’s speciality, interests, and behaviours. This can mean customising the content of emails, suggesting specific educational materials based on HCP’s past interactions, or using artificial intelligence (AI) to recommend the next best actions. Currently, there is a large gap in personalisation; an analysis found that less than 20% of HCPs feel they receive truly personalised experiences from pharma, meaning over 80% still get generic, “one-size-fits-all” content[1]. This lack of tailoring contributes to low engagement. The industry is responding by embracing modular content, breaking core messages into reusable, pre-approved blocks. This approach enables quick, compliant personalisation across audiences and channels while maintaining consistency in core messaging.
Digital tactics and interactive content: The toolkit for engaging HCPs has expanded far beyond the traditional sales representative visit or printed detail aid. Digital tactics now dominate, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic normalised virtual interactions. Some notable tactics and innovations include interactive content such as interactive PDFs, clickable e-books and infographics; gamified experiences; virtual & hybrid events; and AI-driven communication. AI platforms are now helping teams generate modular content, automate repetitive tasks, and even predict the “next best action” for engaging HCPs, freeing teams to focus on higher-value strategic activities.
3. Real-world Evidence and Health Economics Outcomes Research communications for value demonstration
Medical communications teams are increasingly integrating RWE and HEOR data into their materials, reflecting the shift toward value-based healthcare. Demonstrating real-world impact and cost-effectiveness is crucial for market access and physician adoption, given that many healthcare systems are publicly funded and cost-constrained.
Medical communications teams now routinely include RWE findings in their content for HCPs and payers. For example, a product newsletter or detail aid for HCPs might highlight results from a post-marketing study or registry, alongside the controlled trial results. These real-world data points help clinicians understand how the drug might perform in their local patient population, improving relevance. Medical writers are playing a key role here, translating raw RWE data into clear, digestible stories that resonate with HCPs while remaining scientifically accurate. It has been suggested that as the industry moves towards value-based care, “the future of medico-marketing lies in the effective communication of RWE,” and medical writers are central to this evolution.
Some practical examples of RWE integration include infographics and explainer videos, scientific publications and congress materials, value dossiers & payers communications, and integrated evidence planning to align clinical, RWE, and HEOR evidence needs from the beginning. HCPs respond positively to seeing data that reflects “patients like mine,” and payers certainly demand such evidence. Sharing real-world results helps HCPs understand the practical impact of treatments, which can support better decision-making and foster trust. Overall, medical communications are moving beyond just reporting clinical trial efficacy. They narrate a more holistic story of value: combining clinical, real-world, economic, and patient-centric evidence. This requires translating complex data into compelling narratives for each stakeholder. It’s a challenge that many companies are meeting by upskilling their teams and leveraging digital tools. The trend is clear; RWE and HEOR are no longer afterthoughts; they are front and centre in medical communication strategies, aligning with the global, and in many geographies, regional shift toward outcomes and value-based healthcare models.
Challenges in the Evolving Landscape
Ethics and Trust in the Digital Era
As digital engagement expands, ethical considerations become paramount. Whether it’s transparent data presentation, responsible AI use, or compliance with data privacy laws (like GDPR), trust is the currency of effective communication. Ethical frameworks ensure that even the most innovative formats remain credible and compliant.
To conclude, engagement with medical content is a tale of contrasts; HCPs are overwhelmed yet eager, digitally savvy yet discerning. The most successful strategies respect their limited time by delivering high-quality, personalised, and accessible content. Whether it’s a 3-minute visual abstract on X, a well-run hybrid educational event, or an interactive economic model presented to a formulary committee, the common thread is value and efficiency.
What’s changing and accelerating is the generational shift in how information is consumed. As more Gen Z HCPs enter the workforce, expectations for on-demand, visual, and interactive content will only grow. Meeting these expectations is no small feat. It requires skilled medical writers and strategists who can distil complex science into concise, accurate, and engaging formats, without losing rigour. It also demands smarter collaboration with AI and digital tools to support content automation, data visualisation, and modular content creation at scale.
Despite meaningful infographics and bite-sized insights, it goes beyond design; it’s about understanding the science, the audience, and the story. When done well, this synergy, science, strategy, and storytelling drive deeper engagement, builds trust, and ultimately supports better clinical decision-making.
With continued innovation, upskilling, and a willingness to experiment with new technologies, the gap between what HCPs expect and what they receive is likely to close in the coming years. The future of medical communications belongs to those who can blend scientific accuracy with digital fluency, ensuring that every message, no matter how small, is relevant, credible, and actionable.