Understanding HCP content preferences in 2025

In a crowded digital space, cutting through the noise to engage HCPs is more difficult than ever.  

Tighter schedules and the growing demands of patient care mean that HCPs have little time, and even less patience, for content that doesn’t meet their needs.  

To be effective, pharma marketers need to understand evolving HCP content preferences and adjust strategies accordingly. Today’s most effective strategies are built around mobile-friendly, high-impact formats that meet providers in their moment of need and on their terms. 

Bite-sized, mobile-first is no longer optional 

As the typical clinic schedule grows busier, mobile-first content has become a necessity. Over 70 percent of providers use smartphones or tablets to access clinical tools, research, and treatment insights, often between appointments or while on the move. That means your content must be optimized for smaller screens, easily navigable, and respectful of time constraints. 

For pharma marketers, understanding HCP content preferences means recognizing that brevity drives engagement. As Doreen Lee, Medical Excellence Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim, has stated, “When it comes to medical education, doctors have no patience for 30-minute or 1-hour webinars anymore unless there’s a super important international keynote speaker. On average, they prefer 5- to 10-minute bite-size case studies.”  

This shift toward brevity emphasizes the need for pharma marketers to prioritize concise content that delivers immediate value.  

Video and interactive learning are gaining ground 

For learning outside clinical hours, HCP content preferences continue to shift toward formats that are visual, fast, and participatory. In fact, a survey conducted by Healthcare Success found that 88 percent of physicians prefer video-based learning over perusing text-based digital content. 

Pharma marketers should consider: 

• Quick, high-impact videos featuring key opinion leaders (KOLs) or clinical scenarios 

• Live Q&As tailored to specialty areas or recent breakthroughs 

• Interactive case studies or quizzes that encourage hands-on learning  

These formats help busy HCPs absorb important updates quickly, with content that sticks. They help turn complex clinical topics into relatable, usable insights that can be retained and acted upon.  

Expanding beyond traditional channels 

Although email and journal ads are an enduring tactic in healthcare marketing, they often fall short of delivering immediate, in-the-moment value. Today’s HCPs are engaging with content across a broader spectrum of channels—ones that feel more integrated into their daily routines and clinical decision-making. 

Medical podcasts deliver on-the-go education, often with the added benefit of CME credit. Meanwhile, private HCP communities have emerged as trusted spaces for real-time clinical dialogue, where peer insights shape decisions. Savvy pharma marketers are tapping into these channels by sponsoring podcasts, joining peer-led platforms, and aligning messaging across formats that feel native to how clinical audiences consume information. These channels reflect the shift in HCP content preferences away from static ads and toward interactive, experience-driven education. 

The goal isn’t just more exposure. It’s showing up in the right moments, in the right ways to make meaningful, lasting connections with HCPs. The expectations have evolved; meeting them means rethinking not only the content, but also how and where you place it. 

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