Top health tech predictions for 2018: PulsePoint
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will revolutionize clinical trials and GDPR will positively impact targeting capabilities, according to PulsePoint’s General Manager EMEA, Gareth Shaw, who predicts how valuable new opportunities are being created for healthcare brands to reach consumers in 2018.
Speaking to The Drum, Shaw said the “explosion of health data” from wearable devices will be combined with other offline or online data assets to produce highly targeted audiences for healthcare marketers. He is also optimistic that AI and machine learning will revolutionize clinical trial recruitment.
“AI and machine learning will allow pharma brands to better identify potential patients through the use of large data sets, data analysis and data modelling. This is incredibly meaningful in the context of clinical trials because these campaigns have the ability to not only change, but actually save lives,” he said.
When asked how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will impact the healthcare sector, Shaw responded that the most significant reform of data protection laws in almost two decades will actually have an upside, as it will inspire development of transformative targeting capabilities.
“Traditionally health data has already been highly regulated when it comes to privacy and data compliance. GDPR is bringing similar standards across multiple sectors. With that we will see a wave of innovation for data targeting in a privacy compliant way,” he explained.
“That wave of innovation and technology should bring a lot of value to the health sector, because everyone will now be working to achieve a similar standard.”
Shaw also believes that native advertising will be “the drug of choice” for pharma marketers in 2018. Pharma marketers have a dual challenge of raising awareness about both medical conditions and the products that treat them.
According to Shaw, native advertising and content marketing address both objectives by allowing marketers to capture mindshare in highly relevant environments while satisfying brand safety and regulatory requirements. Pharma marketers will recognize this value as well, and shift significant budgets to this vehicle.
For more insights on how PulsePoint believes technology will impact healthcare marketers in 2018, watch the full video above.