Point-of-Care KPIs: What Pharma Should Report and What to Skip
Which KPIs pharma should use for point-of-care campaigns: delivery, target reach, engagement, and Rx outcomes, plus metrics to treat with caution.
The short answer
Pharma marketers should judge point-of-care campaigns on verified delivery to target HCPs or practices, reach and frequency on the target list, relevant engagement where it exists, and, most importantly, incremental prescriptions from an outcome study with a control group. Click rates, raw screen counts, and vendor-estimated audience numbers are useful context but weak evidence of impact.
Point-of-care reports often arrive with dozens of numbers. A few of them answer the question that matters: did the campaign reach the right HCPs or practices, and did it change what happened? This article sorts the metrics.
Tier 1: Did it run as planned?
| KPI | Definition | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Verified delivery | Messages served or screens live as contracted | Basic accountability |
| Target reach | Unique target HCPs or practices exposed | The real denominator |
| Frequency | Average and distribution of exposures per target | Too low or too high both hurt |
| Tier coverage | Reach by priority tier | Shows whether top targets were hit |
Ask for NPI-level or practice-level delivery files, not just totals.
Tier 2: Did people engage?
| KPI | Use with care because |
|---|---|
| Clicks or taps | HCPs rarely click in workflow; patients may not either |
| Time on content | Can be inflated by passive screens |
| Resource downloads or requests | Better signal, small numbers |
| QR scans in waiting rooms | Signal of interest; small and biased |
Engagement helps compare creative and placements. It does not prove impact. The HCP engagement metrics article covers what each signal supports.
Tier 3: Did it change outcomes?
- Incremental new prescriptions among exposed HCPs or practices versus a matched or randomized control.
- New-to-brand share change in exposed versus control.
- Patient starts or fills where data allows, using privacy-safe methods.
This is the tier that should decide budget. See point-of-care campaign measurement for pixel setup and Rx lift.
Metrics to treat with caution
- Estimated audience for screens. Often based on practice visit assumptions.
- "Engaged HCPs" when engagement is defined loosely.
- Attributed prescriptions without a control group. These count prescriptions from exposed HCPs, not prescriptions caused by exposure. See attributed vs. incremental.
- ROI from a study designed after launch.
A simple monthly report
- Delivery vs. plan.
- Unique target HCPs or practices reached, by tier.
- Frequency distribution.
- Top placements and creative by engagement.
- Status of the outcome study and next readout date.
Keep outcome results in a separate section with methods and confidence intervals.
Setting targets
- Reach targets as a share of the target list by tier.
- Frequency ranges, not single numbers.
- Outcome targets as a minimum detectable lift agreed with the measurement partner before launch.
Common mistakes
- Reporting total impressions instead of unique target reach.
- Treating click rate as the headline KPI.
- Mixing attributed and incremental prescriptions.
- No agreed outcome study before launch.
Practical takeaway
Ask your point-of-care vendor for one number before anything else: unique target HCPs or practices reached last month, by tier. If they cannot provide it at the NPI or practice level, every other metric in the report is hard to trust.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important point-of-care KPI?
Incremental prescriptions from a properly controlled outcome study. Delivery and reach metrics show whether the campaign ran as planned, not whether it worked.
Are clicks a good point-of-care metric?
Not on their own. HCPs rarely click during clinical work, and patients in waiting rooms may not interact. Low clicks do not mean low impact.
How often should point-of-care be reported?
Delivery and reach monthly; outcome studies at the intervals the design supports, often quarterly or at the end of a flight.
Sources
- Media Rating Council, Standards and Guidelines
- American Statistical Association, Statement on p-Values
External guidance and platform documentation change. Links were current at publication; check them again before relying on them for a decision.
Editorial note. Analysis and frameworks are the author's own and do not represent Acxiom or any current or former employer, client, or named platform. Examples labeled hypothetical or illustrative are not results from real campaigns. Nothing here is legal, regulatory, or medical advice.
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