Omni Know-How
October 17, 2025
Right Message, Right Moment: What Research Really Tells Us About Messaging Doctors in the EHR
Pharma marketers love to say we “meet doctors where they are.” It’s become industry gospel — reach physicians in their workflow, engage them at the point of care, be present when it matters most.
But here’s the question we don’t ask often enough:
What mindset are doctors in when we reach them?
Because when a clinician is in the EHR, face-to-face with a patient, they’re not in browsing or learning mode — they’re in decision-making mode. And that single distinction changes everything about how (and when) we should show up.
What the Research Says
A 2023 BMJ systematic review analyzed over 100 studies on clinical decision support (CDS) messages delivered within EHRs. The results were clear:
Messages that worked were brief, actionable, and tied to a specific patient decision.
Messages that failed were generic and interruptive.
Similarly, a 2024 JAMA Network Open study on AI-generated clinical communication found that when messages were clear, contextual, and workflow-integrated, clinician engagement increased significantly. When they weren’t, engagement dropped sharply.
The takeaway is simple: Timing plus relevance equals action.
Two Mindsets, Two Strategies
Doctors operate in two cognitive modes:
Decision Mode (in the EHR):
Time is tight, focus is high, and cognitive load is heavy. Physicians need quick, actionable guidance that helps them make a better decision for this patient, right now.Right Message. Right Time.
Learning Mode (outside clinical hours):
They’re reflective, curious, and open to deeper content — CME programs, mechanism of action explainers, or study data.
Most pharma content gets this wrong. We send “learning mode” content into “decision mode” environments — and then wonder why it’s ignored.
What “Right Message, Right Moment” Looks Like
Inside the EHR, the goal isn’t awareness — it’s utility.
Instead of a brand banner, show formulary coverage for your brand.
Instead of an educational alert, enable HUB Enrollment automation that saves time.
Instead of general awareness, deliver new dosing guidance.
When your message helps, it gets seen. When it adds friction, it gets ignored.
The Bottom Line
Doctors don’t need more information. They need the right information, precisely when it matters.
The brands that win in the EHR era won’t be the loudest — they’ll be the most useful.