The trend: Even amid the surging popularity of weight loss drugs, 60% of respondents to a recent Tebra survey admitted they’re hesitant to ask physicians about GLP-1 medications. Our take: Healthcare and pharma players in the GLP-1 space will want to double down on messaging that obesity is a chronic condition that often requires medication, while integrating testimonials from GLP-1 patients who are proud of their weight loss achievements. Marketers should also craft content that addresses physicians’ specific biases against weight loss drugs and refutes common misconceptions.

The trend: GenAI tools like ChatGPT are providing fewer disclaimers that chatbots are not a substitute for professional medical advice, according to a recent study cited in MIT Technology Review. Our take: Tech players must prioritize user safety—not winning the AI race. Health warnings should be standard, and marketers will need to scale back claims that AI accuracy surpasses physicians’.

The trend: Hispanic and Black people are underrepresented in the clinician workforce compared to the broader US population, according to a KFF analysis of 2023 industry data. Our take: Diversity impacts where patients feel most comfortable seeking healthcare. Providers and marketers should invest in multilingual staff and partner with local community groups that have established relationships with diverse consumers.

The trend: Healthcare professionals are worried that social media influence promotes unhealthy fad diets, per a new Sermo survey. Our take: Healthcare professionals risk losing credibility with patients, who are turning to more relatable (albeit maybe more unreliable) social media influencers. Doctors and nurses will need to enroll in CME nutrition courses and lean into their medical expertise when patients are in the office to offer guidance on nutrition, without seeming heavyhanded.

Gates thinks we have a decade before AI dominates; Schmidt says we have a year. Either way, AI will still need human intervention to keep it on track.

New CMS head suggests AI avatars could replace clinicians: He’s not alone, but we’re dubious—and of the mindset that human relationships are still the bedrock of a high-quality patient experience.

Doctors’ ethics ratings slip: We explore what’s driving the decline in this new data, and examine how trust in physicians can be rebuilt.

Consumers are using the internet and social media to a great extent for healthcare purposes. Here’s what healthcare and pharma marketers need to know about how online-acquired information influences patient action.

On today's podcast episode (part 2), we discuss how doctors are using GenAI to deliver healthcare, how patients feel about it, and why you may climb into a large AI-driven box for your next primary care visit. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Rajiv Leventhal.

The US physician population is changing. The older generations are predominantly white and male, but those younger than 50 are predominantly female and growing more racially diverse. What do providers and marketers need to know to connect with this cohort?

The pandemic exacerbated clinician burnout and labor shortages as providers added more digital demands to the daily workflow. Doctors generally embrace technology to help them do their jobs, but the plethora of systems are also getting in the way.

Telehealth is here to stay. It’s time for providers, payers, and vendors to give consumers what they want and make telehealth services a competitive advantage—or risk being left behind.

Cyberattacks on healthcare providers are surging, putting more pressure on them to protect their systems from breaches.

Digital ad spending in the US healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will grow by 14.2% to reach $9.53 billion in 2020. Growth is being fueled by ads related to COVID-19, including public service announcements, medical supplies and telemedicine.

Voice-activated technology is in the early stages of development, but it has the potential to change the way healthcare brands, providers and patients interact—eventually making the healthcare system more efficient and effective.