Testing HCP Communication with AI Personas Safely

September 29, 2025

3 minutes

Written by

DataDiggers

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global pharmaceutical company

safely test early-stage HCP communication

AI-generated personas

speed, compliance and actionable insights

The Challenge: Testing HCP Messaging in a Privacy-Conscious Environment

Launching a new medication involves more than regulatory approval. It demands clear, compelling, and compliant communication with healthcare professionals (HCPs)—especially when the treatment is novel or addresses unmet medical needs.

One of DataDiggers' global pharma clients faced this exact challenge while developing messaging for an upcoming treatment in the oncology space. The team needed to test multiple versions of their HCP communication in the early creative stage, before committing budget to live testing.

However, they were constrained by:

  • Privacy risks: Engaging real HCPs too early could lead to regulatory or ethical concerns
  • Recruitment hurdles: Accessing oncologists, radiologists, and specialized nurses in the concept-testing phase is slow and expensive
  • Speed-to-insight: Waiting weeks to validate early ideas would slow down internal approvals and time-to-market

The brand team needed a safe, fast, and insightful way to evaluate how their messaging might be received by target HCP audiences—without yet involving actual HCPs.

The Solution: Syntheo’s AI-Powered Synthetic Personas

Enter Syntheo—DataDiggers’ AI-driven solution for generating synthetic insights through realistic digital personas.

Syntheo builds credible, deeply profiled synthetic respondents based on extensive historical and contextual data. For this case, Syntheo simulated board-certified oncologists, radiologists, and hospital pharmacists from three priority markets: Germany, Japan, and the United States.

These AI personas reflected nuanced professional and cultural realities, including:

  • Practice setting (hospital vs. private clinic)
  • Experience with novel therapies
  • Attitudes toward pharma-sponsored content
  • Regulatory awareness and communication preferences

Crucially, all responses were synthetic—meaning the client could test sensitive communication materials in a 100% privacy-safe environment, free of GDPR or HIPAA exposure.

Execution: Simulating a Realistic, Insight-Rich Feedback Loop

DataDiggers worked with the client’s brand and medical affairs teams to:

  1. Define key decision moments for message validation (e.g., tone, credibility, format)
  2. Upload draft messages into Syntheo’s testing engine
  3. Select relevant AI personas, tailored by geography and specialization
  4. Run the simulation using Modeliq to test how messages would perform across different exposure scenarios (e.g., email vs. rep call)
  5. Compare versions for impact, believability, and clarity

The Syntheo dashboard presented findings in real-time through smart heatmaps, sentiment analysis, and decision-mapping overlays—allowing the team to instantly understand which messages resonated and why.

The Results: Fast, Safe Insight Without Compromise

Within 48 hours, the client received deep, multi-market feedback that previously would have taken 4–6 weeks and significant budget.

Key outcomes included:

  • ✅ Identified the most credible messaging variant for HCPs in each target market
  • ✅ Flagged two potentially ambiguous claims that could cause confusion
  • ✅ Confirmed that U.S. hospital pharmacists valued a clinical evidence tone, while German oncologists preferred a peer-to-peer case study format
  • ✅ Secured internal go-ahead to proceed with real-world HCP testing, confident in direction

Most importantly, the team avoided any premature data sharing with real HCPs—keeping them fully compliant and minimizing reputational risk.

Why It Matters: A New Standard for Early-Stage HCP Testing

This case illustrates the power of synthetic insights when speed, safety, and precision matter most. Syntheo helped our client:

  • De-risk early communication testing
  • Explore creative options before costly live validation
  • Maintain global privacy compliance
  • Accelerate internal approval cycles

In an industry where timelines are tight and standards are high, DataDiggers provides a future-proof solution for early testing—without cutting corners.

Ready to Explore Synthetic Insights in Healthcare?

Whether you're designing HCP messaging, testing patient materials, or simulating clinical trial engagement, Syntheo and Modeliq can help you move faster, safer, and smarter.

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About DataDiggers

DataDiggers is a global, technology-powered market research agency founded in 2015. We combine deep panel expertise with AI-driven innovation to deliver fast, high-quality insights for brands and agencies worldwide. Through our proprietary platforms—Brainactive, Syntheo, Modeliq, and Correlix—we help organizations test, model, and validate decisions with confidence.

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