Last updated: September 2026
Refero exists because healthcare companies choose marketing partners from ads, logo walls, and directories where placement is sold. This page explains how we do it differently, in enough detail that you can hold us to it.
Refero is a vetted index of healthcare marketing agencies and a free matching service for the companies that hire them. We serve pharma and biotech, providers and health systems, medical device and diagnostics, and telehealth and digital health.
We are not an agency, and we do not deliver marketing services. We introduce buyers to agencies and step back.
Every agency in the network is screened against five published criteria.
Real work in the niche the agency claims, evidenced by named clients or verifiable case studies. Generalists claiming every specialty do not pass.
Specific, checkable metrics with context, and references available on request. Vague growth claims do not count.
Who actually does the work, how long they have been there, and what happens if a key person leaves.
A pricing model the agency can explain plainly, including what is and is not included. Refusing to discuss structure before a sales call does not pass.
A commitment to respond to introductions within two business days. One unanswered introduction is a warning. A second removes the agency from matching.
Agencies that do not clear these criteria are not listed. Clearing them is not permanent, and an agency can be removed at any time for failing them later.
Where we publish ranked lists, position reflects our editorial assessment against the criteria above, applied to the specific category the list covers. We weigh depth of evidence in that niche most heavily, because a strong generalist is usually the wrong answer to a specialized brief.
Rankings are editorial judgments, not measurements. Two reasonable people could order the same agencies differently. What we commit to is that the reasoning is consistent, applied to everyone in the list, and open to challenge through the corrections process below.
At the time of writing, nothing on this site is for sale. Not placement, not position, not badges, not inclusion in the network, and not the matching service.
If that changes, and paid placement is a model we may adopt, we commit to the following: paid placements will be labeled as paid wherever they appear, they will not be mixed into editorial rankings without clear distinction, and paying will never substitute for meeting the five criteria. Any agency that could not qualify on merit will not appear because it paid.
We will update this page before any such change takes effect, not after.
Claims we publish about agencies come from the agency's own public materials, published case studies, client references where provided, and publicly available data. Where a figure is an estimate, we say so. Where we could not verify a claim, we either leave it out or label it as the agency's own claim rather than a verified fact.
We do not publish performance numbers we cannot attribute to a source. If you find one, it is an error and we want to hear about it.
Our guides and rankings are researched and written by our editorial team, made up of people with direct experience in healthcare marketing. We use AI tools to assist with research, drafting, and editing. Every published piece is reviewed by a person who is accountable for its accuracy before it goes live. No page is published without human review.
We will correct factual errors promptly and without argument.
If a listing about your agency is wrong, outdated, or unfair, or if you want your agency removed from the index entirely, contact us at hello@referohq.com with the page and what needs to change. We aim to respond within five business days. Corrections that change a material fact are noted on the page with the date.
Agencies may request removal from the index at any time, for any reason, and we will honor it. Removal requests do not require an explanation.
Companies who submit a brief pay nothing, and there is no obligation to hire anyone we introduce. If no vetted agency fits your requirements, we will tell you so rather than sending a forced match.
We are not a party to any engagement you form. Introductions are a starting point. Your own diligence, contracts, and decisions remain yours.
We will update this page as the business changes, and the last updated date above will always reflect the most recent revision. Material changes to what is for sale, how rankings work, or how conflicts are handled will be reflected here before they take effect.
Questions about anything on this page: hello@referohq.com
