From publication to practice: Tracking research adoption with Clinical Guidelines and Altmetric

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Challenge

Traditional bibliometrics such as citation counts and journal impact factors provide a limited view of research influence—particularly when it comes to understanding real-world clinical relevance. Altmetric partnered with a pharmaceutical company, which had recognized a need for greater visibility into how research was being cited in clinical guidelines, key literature to support medical decision-making.

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Our approach

Clinical Guidelines tracking capability was developed by Altmetric. This feature was designed to support pharmaceutical and medical organizations in understanding how their publications are used in clinical guidance worldwide. By working closely with a pharmaceutical partner, the Altmetric team ensured the solution aligned with internal goals related to research visibility, stakeholder engagement, and operational efficiency.

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Key outcomes

Clinical guidelines represent the highest standard of research impact, as they shape how healthcare professionals (HCPs) deliver care, drive treatment decisions, and influence broader healthcare adoption. This collaboration enables the pharmaceutical company to:

• Gain clearer visibility into when and where its publications are cited in clinical guidelines.
• Benchmark influence by identifying which journals and research outputs are more likely to drive clinical adoption.
• Support internal reporting with centralized, easily accessible data that reduced the need for manual tracking across disparate sources.
• Enable stronger engagement with leadership and stakeholders by showcasing the influence of research on clinical practice.

“Clinical guidelines are our North Star—they represent the highest level of research impact. With Altmetric, we now have the data to prove it.”

 — Associate Director, Publications

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Looking forward

While the Clinical Guidelines feature has delivered significant value, the Altmetric team continues to work on potential future improvements, such as:

• Proactive notifications – Automating alerts when publications are newly cited in clinical guidelines. 
• Even broader coverage of clinical guidelines – Expanding the range of tracked guidelines to provide deeper insights into research influence on clinical practice. 
• Enhanced benchmarking capabilities – Providing deeper insights into how the pharmaceutical company research compares to competitors, industry trends, and therapeutic areas, enabling more strategic decision-making.

“Altmetric’s Clinical Guidelines data is invaluable. With continued enhancements, it will become a game-changer for how pharmaceutical companies measure research impact.”

 — Associate Director, Publications

Staying ahead in research impact

Altmetric’s insights can help refine medical strategy, demonstrate real-world influence, and drive evidence-based decision-making.

With Altmetric, efficiently track, measure, and prove the impact of research—turning scientific discoveries into real-world medical advancements.

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Want to showcase the impact of your research?

Altmetric helps leading pharmaceutical organizations demonstrate real-world research impact. Learn how our Clinical Guidelines tracking can support your goals. Contact us to learn more about Altmetric’s Clinical Guidelines feature.

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