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Tracking data dissemination during medical congress and the emerging role of Bluesky

06.02.2025 | Insight

Tracking data dissemination during medical congress and the emerging role of Bluesky

There are approximately 1,200 to 1,500 medical congresses and conferences held globally each year, covering a wide range of specialities and therapeutic areas. These range from major international events like ASCO, ESC or IDWeek to regional and national meetings, as well as subspecialty congresses like ASCO GI or SABCS. Regardless of their size, clinical data releases are pivotal moments during those events. But how those data releases resonate with HCPs often unfolds online!

The pharmaceutical industry has an opportunity to gain insights by understanding how clinical data is received, discussed, and disseminated through HCP conversations on open public social media platforms. This can help enhance future dissemination strategies and support the HCP community by addressing their specific scientific questions.

The moment of data release

Congress meetings remain the premier platform for unveiling new clinical data, attracting HCPs, researchers, and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) from around the world. These events create a sense of anticipation, with medical teams carefully timing their data releases to coincide with peak attention. The physical presentations (e.g. oral abstracts, posters, symposia) serve as the initial touchpoint, but the true ripple effect often begins online, where the wider healthcare community engages with the information.

HCPs as disseminators

HCPs are not just passive recipients of congress data—they’re active amplifiers, bringing their own perspectives and interpretations to their online networks. For example, a cardiologist shares data and summarises key points for her peers or a urologist might have a specific question on trial data and tags his collaborators for deeper discussion.

 

Social platforms like Twitter/X, LinkedIn and now Bluesky are where these conversations come alive, with HCPs sharing slides, graphs, and key takeaways in real-time.

The hashtag ecosystem is critical—congress-specific hashtags (e.g., #ESCCongress or #SABCS24) allow for structured conversations and help HCPs track trending topics efficiently.

The ripple effect

Conversations that start at congress meetings quickly extend beyond the event itself. For example, this breast cancer oncologist wrapping up her key findings from SABCS 2024 sparked discussions in her specialty community worldwide. International audiences, often unable to attend live, rely on these digital touchpoints to stay informed like this HCP.

Thank you to everyone posting at #sabcs24 and #ASH24 I actually felt like I was part of the conferences and was able to share important research with colleagues

— Aubrene Fiore (@aubrenefiore.bsky.social) 2024-12-12T04:06:59.510Z

Pharmaceutical companies’ data often reaches not only HCPs but also policy influencers, advocacy groups, and even patients through these channels. For example, this Cardiologist from Germany shared congress highlights from the recent ESC Congress 2024 in London on YouTube for patients specifically. 

This global dissemination of insights is driven by the speed and accessibility of online platforms, ensuring that key messages reach diverse audiences within hours of a presentation.

Challenges and Opportunities for Pharma

Challenges:

  • Amid this surge of online activity, pharma faces the challenge of cutting through the noise to ensure their data is accurately interpreted and discussed.
  • Misinterpretations or critical takes on trial results can spread quickly, influencing perception.

Opportunities:

  • By listening to how HCPs respond, pharma can spot trends and themes in real-time, such as which aspects of their data are most compelling or controversial.
  • These insights can help guide real-time adjustments (e.g. additional clarifications, tailored Q&A sessions) or inform strategies for future congresses.

Real-time feedback: Capturing the pulse of the HCP community

When clinical data is presented, HCPs often provide immediate feedback online through their posts, comments, and discussions.

For instance, they may highlight ‘impactful’ elements of the data or point out areas where additional clarity is needed. 

Novel FXa-DOAC bypassing agent VMX entering Phase 3. Timely, given recent thrombotic concerns for Adexanet, see shows.acast.com/dont-just-re… (Episodes 5, 6).I am curious about anti-drug [email protected] @richardbuka.bsky.social #Ash24 #hemesky

— Ben Samelson-Jones, MD, PhD (@samelsonjones.bsky.social) 2024-12-09T03:58:05.559Z

This unfiltered reaction offers invaluable insights into how the data is perceived, including its scientific merit and relevance to clinical practice. Like this Colombian oncologist referring to a clinical trial that was presented during #ASCOGI25 as ‘a real practice-changing trial’.

Real-time monitoring allows pharma to track which elements of the data are generating the most excitement or concern, such as:

  • Efficacy: Are HCPs impressed by the outcomes?
  • Safety: Are there questions about adverse event profiles?
  • Applicability: Are there discussions on how the data could impact day-to-day practice?

Understanding what resonates

Jessica Fernandes, Research Analyst at CREATION.co analysed the ESMO 2024 HCP online conversation to understand which trials sparked the most discussion among HCPs. 

During ESMO 2024, the most dominant topic discussed by HCPs was genitourinary (GU) cancer, with 12% of the overall online HCP conversation during ESMO covering the subject, mainly because HCPs discussed trials such as AMBASSADOR and NIAGARA.

When amplifying the latest trial data at ESMO, HCPs often shared links to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). In addition to NEJM, HCPs also frequently shared links to sites, such as UroToday and OncoAlert, which provided further summaries and coverage of the congress.

Gil Morgan, the director of the OncoAlert Network, was the most active HCP during ESMO 2024.

The role of platform-specific nuances

  • Twitter/X: Known for rapid-fire dissemination of key takeaways, HCPs often use it to share live updates from congresses with their peers.
  • LinkedIn: A more formal platform where HCPs tend to provide deeper analyses or share commentary with professional networks.
  • Bluesky: As an emerging platform, Bluesky offers unique opportunities to listen to HCP conversations in a decentralized, privacy-oriented environment. Early adopters of Bluesky may include forward-thinking HCPs who are influential within their circles.

Bluesky’s emerging role in data dissemination

Bluesky is an alternative platform to Elon Musk’s X and got an influx of new users following the U.S. election, largely from individuals looking to flee X. The social media platform now has over 30 million users.

Bluesky describes itself as “social media as it should be“. The main difference is Bluesky is decentralised – a complicated term which basically means users can host their data on servers other than those owned by the company.

The former head of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, created Bluesky, but Mr Dorsey is no longer part of the team behind it, having stepped down from the board in May 2024. It is now run and predominantly owned by chief executive Jay Graber as a US public benefit corporation.

Let’s have a look at the scientific and medical conversation that is happening on Bluesky. Nature, the medical journal, has published a recent paper (24 January 2025) based on a readers’ poll (6,000 readers). The heading states: Bluesky’s science takeover and nature readers said that the platform is ‘less antagonistic to science than X’.

It felt significant to the medical and science community when ASH, the American Society of Hematology, created their Bluesky profile on the 21st of November 2024 and started to engage their community not only on X, LinkedIn and Instagram but on Bluesky too. The 66th ASH Annual Meeting, which was held December 7 – 10, 2024, in San Diego, US, saw thousands of HCPs joining the online conversation on Bluesky and CREATION.co research showed that by that time, one-third of the most impactful HCPs on X are already on Bluesky.

Following the ASH Annual Meeting, SABCS, the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium kicked off (December 10 – 13, 2024), and it was visible how the breast cancer HCP community engaged on Bluesky. Pharmaceutical companies are being mentioned by HCPs, but the majority either do not have a profile yet or have created a profile but are not active.

A cancer communications expert said after coming home from #ASH24 and #SABCS24 that ‘more is needed to cultivate Bluesky’ and that there is a risk by using both platforms (X and Bluesky) that original content and engagement might not grow quickly enough. A Radiation oncologist responded by saying that the platform is growing but ‘isn’t the same engagement on meeting updates.’

Happy to be home after #ASH24 and #SABCS24. What I learned: more is needed to cultivate @bsky.app. I understand the desire to straddle the 2 apps while #medsky grows, but by doing so cuts down on the original content and engagement here and undermines the needed growth. #quittwitter #oncsky #cansky

— Sara R. Fagerlie, PhD, CHCP (@cancercommunicator.com) 2024-12-14T15:33:44.423Z

Agree- it’s growing but isn’t the same engagement on meeting updates.

— Wendy Woodward, MD, PhD (@ibcradiation.bsky.social) 2024-12-14T23:59:36.172Z

Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is still the social media platform of choice among HCPs for medical interaction, patient advocacy, peer-to-peer engagement and wider health education. But, as Daniel Ghinn, CEO of CREATION.co said recently, it will be intriguing to follow how Bluesky evolves as a platform for HCPs. There are a number of structural and stylistic similarities between Bluesky and X, but will HCPs use both platforms in the same way as the former continues to grow?

Bluesky vs. established platforms

  • Twitter/X:
    • Known for its large audience and established hashtag ecosystems, Twitter remains the dominant platform for real-time congress conversations.
    • However, Twitter’s increasing ad presence, algorithmic changes, and perceived instability have pushed some HCPs to explore alternatives like Bluesky.
  • Bluesky:
    • Offers a fresh, less crowded space where HCPs can engage in meaningful exchanges without distractions.
    • Encourages niche community building, which may be particularly valuable for specialty-focused conversations around specific congresses or therapeutic areas.
  • LinkedIn:
    • Remains more formal and career-oriented, complementing Bluesky by enabling deeper analysis and professional connections.

A comment on Instagram: Instagram is used as a visual tool for HCPs to share more patient-facing educational content – both with a medical and personal focus. During medical congresses, HCPs use Instagram mostly to share their attendance on-site and to celebrate being with their peers like this Oncologist from Brazil during ASCO #GI25.

Opportunities for pharma on Bluesky

  • Early engagement with influential HCPs or Digital Opinion Leaders:
    • As Bluesky continues to grow, pharma has the opportunity to connect with influential HCPs or identified DOLs early, establishing meaningful relationships before the platform becomes saturated.
  • Listening for trends:
    • Track the types of data and discussions that gain traction on Bluesky, which could differ from those on more established platforms.
    • Identify emerging themes and questions that HCPs raise about clinical data.
  • Testing innovative approaches:
    • Bluesky’s smaller, less formal environment allows pharma to experiment with new forms of engagement, such as direct discussions with HCPs or sharing resources tailored to this audience.
  • Building credibility:
    • By monitoring conversations and responding thoughtfully (when appropriate), pharma can demonstrate its commitment to understanding and addressing HCP needs.

Key benefits of listening to online HCP conversations

Listening to online healthcare professional (HCP) conversations, particularly during and after major congress events, offers a wealth of benefits for the pharmaceutical industry. By analysing how HCPs engage with clinical data in real-time, pharma companies can refine their strategies, enhance their communication efforts, and ultimately improve the impact of their research.

  1. Immediate reactions: Online conversations provide instant feedback on newly released clinical data from congresses. Whether it’s excitement over breakthrough findings or concerns about safety or efficacy, this immediate reaction helps pharma understand how their data is being received by HCPs.
  2. Spotting misunderstandings early: Sometimes, data can be misinterpreted or oversimplified. Monitoring online discussions enables pharma to identify these misunderstandings quickly and address them with clarifications, updates, or supplementary materials.
  3. Building relationships: Actively engaging in conversations online shows HCPs that the pharmaceutical company values their input. Responding to questions, offering clarifications, or even just acknowledging important contributions builds trust and strengthens the relationship between pharma and the medical community.
  4. Transparency: When pharma listens to HCP concerns and addresses them publicly, it fosters transparency, which is essential for maintaining credibility in an industry that demands trust. By being present and open, pharma can prove that they are genuinely invested in improving patient outcomes.
  5. Recognizing hot topics: By observing the topics that gain traction in HCP conversations, pharma can identify emerging areas of interest, therapeutic trends, and innovations. For instance, if HCPs are increasingly discussing a new treatment modality or clinical trial design, pharma can recognize where the field is heading and align their efforts accordingly.
  6. Spotting knowledge gaps: Listening to HCPs often reveals areas where there’s a need for further clarification, research, or education. For example, if a particular drug’s mechanism of action is frequently questioned, pharma can offer more educational materials or engage in more targeted discussions to fill these gaps.
  7. Innovation in communication media: Listening to HCPs on social platforms also helps pharma learn how to communicate more effectively. Whether it’s through infographics, videos, or data summaries, pharma can adapt its communications media to meet the expectations and preferences of the healthcare community.
  8. Identifying concerns early: Online conversations can reveal potential issues before they become widespread concerns. If multiple HCPs raise questions about a particular aspect of a drug or clinical trial (e.g. side effects or long-term efficacy), this signals the need for proactive intervention from pharma.
  9. Clarifying complex information: Sometimes, clinical data involves complex or technical information that may confuse some healthcare providers. By monitoring these conversations, pharma can identify where additional educational resources or more detailed explanations are needed to clarify these complexities.
  10. Managing reputation: Engaging with online conversations in a timely and thoughtful manner can help mitigate any negative perceptions or misinformation. By providing accurate, science-backed responses to concerns, pharma can manage its reputation and build stronger relationships with HCPs.
  11. Connecting HCPs and pharma: By listening to online conversations, pharma can identify opportunities to collaborate with HCPs in areas such as research, education, or clinical trials. Facilitating direct engagement between pharma and medical professionals can lead to partnerships that drive innovation and patient care forward.
  12. Personalised content and responses: Listening to specific HCP needs allows pharma to create tailored content, webinars, or scientific discussions that address the exact concerns or interests of the healthcare community, ensuring that communication feels more personalised and relevant.

Conclusion

Listening to online HCP conversations is no longer optional—it’s essential for maximizing the impact of clinical data dissemination.

Tracking the online HCP conversation during your medical congress will help you refine your data dissemination strategy by understanding what are the major data gaps and areas of misunderstanding and by highlighting any educational gaps. 

Talk to us if you would like to find out more or how our tools (DOL Finder and HCP Voice) can help you with your next medical congress.

 

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Meet the Author

Anni Neumann

Anni has spent over 10 years working in the pharmaceutical sector and has been part of various global efforts to support healthcare and the pharma industry relationships. She is an award winning consultant with expertise on enabling cross functional pharmaceutical teams to add value to their health stakeholder communities.

Anni is part of a ladies chamber choir and being married to a chef she also enjoys very, very good food.