At HealthLink Dimensions, we are always improving how we manage healthcare provider data to help our clients connect with the right professionals more effectively. A major challenge across the industry is ensuring provider data is both accurate and properly categorized. To solve this, we are using a novel approach that combines AI with our proprietary data and processes to build a more precise and reliable database. Recently, we applied this method to improve specialty classification, correcting common industry-wide errors. These updates, led by Mike Green, our Chief Product Officer, and Joseph Jo on our Data Science team, are helping businesses better find, reach, and communicate with healthcare providers.
Artificial intelligence is helping us improve how we check and update provider data. After many refinements, our AI systems are now actively strengthening our database, making a real difference in provider data quality. Mike Green has been key in improving how we organize and manage data, ensuring AI helps us spot trends, compare sources, and group providers more effectively. One of the biggest impacts has been in specialty classification, where we have replaced less useful designations—such as "nurse practitioner," "physician assistant," or "unknown"—with accurate specialty assignments based on claims data. This has increased the number of healthcare providers with a defined specialty by about 5%.
AI has also added more granularity, allowing us to distinguish between broad categories and subspecialties, such as identifying pediatric oncologists within pediatrics or cardiology specialists within internal medicine. Because of these efforts, the information we provide to pharmaceutical companies, health systems, and insurers is now more accurate, useful, and up to date. As technology continues to advance, we can give clients even deeper insights into their ideal healthcare provider audiences, helping them refine targeting and improve engagement.
Correctly categorizing healthcare providers is essential for effective targeting, but most data providers and advertisers struggle to determine whether a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant is working in primary care or a specialty setting. Even when they are in a specialty, the specific field is often unknown. This lack of clarity makes it difficult for advertisers to segment audiences and personalize messaging effectively.
At HealthLink Dimensions, we take a unique approach by combining AI with proprietary data and processes to provide clinical insights and accurate specialty classification for mid-level providers. While many data vendors mistakenly list NP and PA credentials as medical specialties, our recent data improvements allow clients to categorize these providers by their actual clinical practice areas, just as they have always done with physicians. This enhanced accuracy helps advertisers target providers based on their real roles, ensuring more relevant messaging and better audience segmentation.
This level of insight is uncommon in the data market, and HealthLink Dimensions is proud to offer advertisers the precision they need to connect with the right healthcare professionals and improve marketing performance.
For organizations relying on healthcare provider data for outreach, whether pharmaceutical brands, hospitals, or health insurers, these updates have significant implications. Our AI-driven validation actively keeps provider contact data up to date, ensuring more precise targeting. Stronger campaign performance eliminates classification errors, reducing wasted marketing spend. Clients gain a competitive advantage with our clean, structured data, allowing them to target the right specialists with confidence.
These improvements reflect HealthLink Dimensions' commitment to accurate data and innovation. As we enhance our AI technology and refine how we organize provider information, we are also applying similar processes to improve affiliation data accuracy. This will give advertisers even greater ability to segment and personalize their clinical audiences with precision. We will continue sharing updates on how these advancements are transforming healthcare marketing. To learn more, contact our team to see how our AI-powered data solutions can elevate your marketing efforts.
About HealthLink Dimensions
HealthLink Dimensions is a leading provider of healthcare data solutions, offering highly accurate, real-time data to help healthcare organizations optimize their outreach and engagement strategies. With a comprehensive database of over 6 million healthcare providers—including MDs, DOs, NPs, and PAs—HealthLink Dimensions empowers healthcare marketers and organizations with the insights needed to target the right professionals and improve campaign efficiency.