Beyond Automation: Amplifying Healthcare Marketing Through AI Content Strategy

In this episode of The Digital Clinic, we explore the evolution of AI in healthcare content strategy with David Patton, Senior Director of Content Strategy at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

David shares his dramatic transformation from viewing AI as an existential threat to content professionals to embracing it as a capacity multiplier that enables expert teams to accomplish more without sacrificing quality. We discuss the "dynamic storytelling evolution", how content teams must adapt to audiences who stay in their native platforms rather than crossing back to institutional websites, and why this shift requires rethinking content creation from text-first to multi-format approaches.

The conversation reveals why expert oversight remains essential in healthcare content where accuracy is sacrosanct, how David operationalizes storytelling with world-class researchers who aren't natural self-promoters, and why Fred Hutch takes the provocative stance that AI should "steal" their content to better serve their educational mission. We also explore David's experience implementing HIPAA-compliant analytics, a journey that challenged assumptions about measurement and ultimately produced not less data, but different and better data with greater organizational visibility.

From building trust in an era of institutional skepticism to combating misinformation without becoming a campaign organization, David demonstrates how removing the "crutches" of easy tactics creates better strategists who focus on messaging quality and authentic storytelling. This episode delivers actionable insights for healthcare marketers navigating AI adoption, privacy compliance, and the transformation from traditional content approaches to platform-native strategies that amplify expert capacity at scale.

Connect with David Patton:   / davidapatton  
Check out Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center here: https://www.fredhutch.org/

Content Chapter:
00:00 Google's AI Ad Strategy: A Media Revolution
01:55 Reflecting on AI's Impact on Content Strategy
02:27 AI's Role in Healthcare Content Creation
04:43 Challenges and Opportunities in Misinformation
09:42 Dynamic Storytelling in the Digital Age
20:37 The Value of Research Papers
21:09 Challenges in Science Communication
23:30 AI in Research and Communication
23:52 Ethical Considerations of AI
26:28 AI's Role in Medical Research
29:54 HIPAA Compliance and Data Solutions
32:12 Impact of Data Solutions on Marketing
36:13 Measuring Content Value
37:31 Legal and Compliance Issues
38:57 Final Thoughts and Reflections