Designing Messaging for Patient Needs: Real Patient Insights from the Point of Care

Point of Care (POC) marketing isn’t just a peripheral tactic on a media plan; it supports the critical moment where patient intent, provider expertise, and pharmaceutical innovation intersect. But as the healthcare marketing ecosystem becomes increasingly saturated with complex data and digital integrations, pharma marketers looking to drive action and adherence face a fundamental risk: the loss of the human element of care. For a POC media plan to drive true clinical impact and spark meaningful action, it must transcend clinical data and connect deeply with the profound emotional realities of the patient experience.

During POCMA’s recent Candid Conversations event, we dedicated an entire discussion to spotlighting these crucial patient dynamics. The session featured raw, unfiltered insights that laid bare the stark contrast between how marketers think patients consume information and how patients actually experience healthcare. Moderated by patient advocate Rodnell Workman, the panel featured Shamekka Marty, CEO and founder of Beyond the Game Health and Mark Herzlich, a former linebacker for the New York Giants and bone cancer survivor.

Their testimonies serve as a reality check for the industry. To build POC experiences that genuinely resonate and connect, pharmaceutical brands must listen closely to the experiences of those who have navigated the most daunting of clinical environments.

Here’s a recap of what Rodnell, Shamekka and Mark shared that can help you craft better messages for your 2027 POC campaigns.

The Overwhelming Reality of Diagnosis and Helplessness

When patients receive a severe or chronic diagnosis, they’re immediately plunged into a psychological state defined by anxiety, confusion, and a sudden loss of control. For marketers, recognizing this vulnerable mindset is the prerequisite for effective communication. Designing materials that assume a high level of medical literacy or a perfectly organized cognitive state will inherently fail to connect with an audience actively grappling with shock and intense emotion.

Reflecting on his diagnosis of a rare bone cancer at the age of 21, Herzlich illuminated the profound disorientation that accompanies such life-altering news. He observed, "I didn't know what I didn't know. I had no idea what questions to ask."

This state of not knowing extends far beyond mere medical terminology; it represents a complete destabilization of a patient’s perceived future. Effective POC communication must act as a stabilizing force rather than an additional source of cognitive load. As Herzlich noted, "Your biggest feeling internally is helplessness, and helplessness is one of the scariest feelings that we can feel."

To mitigate this helplessness among newly diagnosed patients, brands must avoid bombarding patients with highly technical literature during their initial clinical visits. Instead, POC experiences should prioritize clarity, offering immediate, digestible steps that help patients reclaim a much-needed sense of agency over their healthcare journey.

Keep It Simple: The Demand for Patient "Cheat Codes"

One of the most persistent misalignments in pharmaceutical marketing is the over-reliance on mechanism-of-action (MOA) data in patient-facing materials. While detailing clinical efficacy and cellular mechanics are important for healthcare providers making prescribing decisions, patients in the throes of treatment are often focused purely on survival and daily symptom management.

Herzlich drove this point home regarding his own mindset during treatment: "I didn't care about how [my treatment options] worked at a cellular level."

Instead what patients crave at the POC are actionable insights that make the grueling process of treatment slightly more bearable. Herzlich described his desire for practical, day-to-day guidance, asking, "What do I need to do right now? What’s my first step?"

To illustrate this concept, he shared a memory of receiving advice from his care team about an upcoming procedure that no standard pharmaceutical brochure would typically include:

"I remember my nurse came to me and [said], 'All right, you're going to get your port drained with saline, and it [will give you this] nasty metallic taste in your mouth, but if you put a Jolly Rancher in your mouth, then it doesn't taste as bad."

He continued to explain the value of these practical tips: "This is how you cheat the system. These [tips] are like little cheat codes."

For POC media strategists, the lesson is clear. The most valuable marketing collateral does not just explain the science; it provides the insider knowledge, or, as Herzlich put it, “cheat codes,” that help patients navigate the harsh physical and emotional realities of their care.

Rethinking the Audience: Marketing to the "We"

In addition to the information provided by pharma at each stage of the care journey, the quality of the relationships established between patients and their care teams greatly influence the patience experience.

Of note, the care ecosystem extends far beyond just one physician or one caregiver. The reality of chronic illness and complex treatments means that the patient is rarely fighting their battle alone. Multiple providers representing different specialities, caregivers, spouses, children, and extended family members are all intimately involved in the care journey.

Marty pointed out a flaw in modern healthcare marketing, which often isolates the patient in its creative representations. To resonate, marketers must visualize the actual, lived circumstances of the patient. And pharma should view care teams as patient allies that also deserve to be messaged to.

Marty elaborated on what more inclusive creative looks like in practice, painting a picture of true support: "If you're a single mother going through chemotherapy, [inclusive creative allows] you [to] see somebody coming in and helping with meals, coming and taking the dog out, taking the kids to their appointments, to their practices."

By acknowledging the broader care team in POC materials, brands validate the patient's entire support network. Marty offered a compelling alternative perspective for marketers to adopt moving forward: "Replace I with we and include the entire family when you're doing the marketing."

Environmental Empathy and Setting Expectations

The physical environment of the POC also carries immense psychological weight. Waiting rooms, infusion centers, and hospital wards can be highly intimidating, isolating spaces. Effective POC marketing must be acutely aware of this environmental context and strive to prepare patients for what they are about to experience.

Marty shared a poignant story about the lack of preparation she received before entering an infusion center filled largely with cancer patients for her treatment, which wasn’t cancer related. Her lack of information resulted in an uncomfortable experience that proper communication could have prevented: "Nobody prepared me for the fact that [I was] going to sit amongst cancer patients [as a non-cancer patient] - [the cancer patients] looked at me a bit weird [because I didn’t have cancer]."

POC communication has the power to set expectations and demystify the clinical setting. By preparing patients for the realities of the waiting room or the treatment floor, marketers can alleviate unnecessary anxiety.

Furthermore, the messaging within these environments must offer an emotional escape. Patients are acutely aware of their surroundings, and reminding them solely of their illness can sometimes be counterproductive. As Herzlich noted, "No one is excited to be in that [treatment room]. [So] people want to see themselves outside of that room [in marketing materials]."

When developing digital wallboards or waiting room brochures, marketers should present imagery and narratives that focus on life beyond the clinic, offering patients a tangible vision of recovery and normalcy.

Cultivating Hope Over Statistics

In the pursuit of demonstrating efficacy and safety, pharmaceutical companies frequently rely heavily on survival rates, percentiles, and clinical statistics. While empirical data is essential for regulatory approval and provider confidence, especially in HCP-focused marketing, it’s rarely the primary driver of patient hope or activation according to the patient advocates we spoke with.

When faced with grim statistics, patients must find a psychological way to transcend the numbers in order to keep fighting. Herzlich explained his psychological defense mechanism: "Every patient needs to truly believe that they are that one [who will make it through their condition], regardless of what the percentiles look like."

To inspire this level of steadfast belief, POC marketing must prioritize human narratives over abstract data points. Authentic survivor stories resonate far more deeply than charts or graphs. Herzlich recalled his own experience with seeking out inspiration when he needed it most: "I remember the stories of the people who I could look to as inspiration."

Marty echoed this exact sentiment, challenging the industry's reliance on metrics over human milestones: "A lot of the marketing these days goes towards numbers, but we have to visualize moments for a patient. We measure all of the outcomes with moments."

A successful patient-focused POC campaign connects by showcasing these vital moments—the daily victories, the milestones, and the shared experiences of those who have successfully navigated the same difficult treatment path.

Understanding the Personal Nature of Medical Care

Designing POC experiences that connect with patients requires a deliberate shift. It demands that pharma marketers abandon overly complex, purely scientific messaging in patient-facing materials in favor of empathetic, practical, and highly contextual communication.

Patients are seeking guidance, support, and hope—not a sales pitch. Workman summarized the patient's core desire from healthcare brands: "Don't sell me healthy. I want to know what you can do to help me."

Ultimately, the most successful pharmaceutical marketing campaigns recognize the profound humanity at the center of every clinical encounter. They understand that while the treatments are rooted in deep science, the experience of receiving those treatments is intimately human. Herzlich provided the definitive summary of this philosophy, an ethos that should guide POC media plans: "The diagnosis is medical, but my care is personal."