Contra Indicated: Unconventional Conversations on AI, Behavior, and Healthcare Marketing

AI isn’t necessary for every task, but where does it make the biggest difference in healthcare marketing?

In Episode 4 of Contra Indicated, Mike Rousselle and Sara Goldman join John Schaetzle, Dr. Aaron Noll, and data scientists Abigail Ho and Kata Mezo to explore the case for predictive AI: anticipating when a patient may be ready for treatment, before that moment arrives.

They unpack the limits of reactive targeting, what physician data can tell us about prescribing behavior, and why patient readiness and timing deserve a bigger role in marketing decisions.

Part of our series, The End of Reach-Based Healthcare Marketing.

What if reaching more healthcare providers isn’t the best way to reach the patients who need treatment? Host Mike Rousselle and co-host Sara Goldman are joined by Dr. Aaron Noll and Dr. Andrew Spurr, OptimizeRx’s Clinical AI experts, to explore why a provider’s patient needs matter more than a static target list. Through two real-world examples, they discuss how identifying brand-eligible patients and timing messages around their care can make healthcare marketing more effective.

What does it really mean to reach someone? In Episode 2, Mike Rousselle is joined by Sarah Bast and Mike Palladino to dissect the mindset behind reach, explore why healthcare marketers rely so heavily on it and reveal how fear can shape campaign planning. Together, they discuss better ways to measure whether marketing is driving meaningful action.

Is reach really the best measure of healthcare marketing success—or simply the easiest? In Episode 1, Mike Rousselle and guests challenge the industry’s obsession with reach, explore how Goodhart’s Law shapes marketing decisions and discuss why brand-eligible patients and behavioral change may be better indicators of real impact.