Patient Acquisition Needs Programmatic Infrastructure
Source published: April 14, 2026
Published by Cardinal Digital Marketing, which sells healthcare performance marketing services. Not an endorsement by Healthcare Growth Strategies, Paul Gruensfelder or his employer. Sample/method: podcast interview, Cardinal host Lauren Leone with Lisa Fisher, Associate Media Director; practitioner commentary and one unnamed client example, no data sample stated. Figures are the vendor’s and were not independently verified. Editorial standards
Programmatic advertising works best for patient acquisition when it runs as always-on infrastructure rather than one-off campaigns, according to Lisa Fisher of Cardinal Digital Marketing. On Cardinal’s Ignite podcast she says to check DSP forecast tools before spending: if projected reach is under 10% of the audience, the spend is unlikely to matter, and small budgets may do better in search or social first. Campaigns should run at least four to six weeks, with about 10–15% of budget reserved for tests. Pixels are used for measurement only, with DSPs that sign a business associate agreement. In a six-month paid social and CTV case cited by Cardinal, new organic users tripled, brand search impressions rose 44% and organic time on site rose 119% year over year.
When search is maxed out, programmatic video and CTV can add demand, but only with enough reach, patience and HIPAA-safe measurement. Last-click reporting undercounts it, so operators should plan for incrementality testing with holdout groups before judging results or cutting budgets.
While we aim to share useful and relevant resources, we can’t guarantee the accuracy of all third-party content. Always apply professional judgment when acting on information from external sources.
How much reach does a programmatic campaign need?
Lisa Fisher’s rule of thumb is that if the DSP forecast tool shows reach under 10% of the total audience, the spend is unlikely to make much difference.
How long should a healthcare programmatic campaign run?
At least four to six weeks, with performance typically settling in two to three weeks. Fisher suggests testing every month or two with about 10–15% of budget.
How do you measure programmatic in healthcare?
Last-click attribution undercounts programmatic, so Fisher recommends incrementality testing using ghost-bidding holdout groups from DSPs, with pixels used only for measurement, not targeting.