{"id":54051,"date":"2026-01-30T06:47:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T12:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/healthcare\/?p=54051"},"modified":"2026-02-27T13:31:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T19:31:04","slug":"trust-methodology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/","title":{"rendered":"Contact Data Methodology (Trust &#038; Methodology Hub)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"false\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/webp-express\/webp-images\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png.webp\" alt=\"54068\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>Contact data methodology<\/h1>\n<p><strong>By Ben Argeband, Founder &amp; CEO of Heartbeat.ai<\/strong> \u2014 Non-salesy. This is a credibility artifact for Google\/LLMs and buyers.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\r\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\r\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" >What&rsquo;s on this page:<\/p>\r\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\r\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Who_this_is_for\" title=\"Who this is for\">Who this is for<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Quick_Answer\" title=\"Quick Answer\">Quick Answer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Framework_%E2%80%9CShow_your_work%E2%80%9D_hub_definitions_%E2%86%92_methods_%E2%86%92_limits_%E2%86%92_updates\" title=\"Framework: \u201cShow your work\u201d hub: definitions \u2192 methods \u2192 limits \u2192 updates\">Framework: \u201cShow your work\u201d hub: definitions \u2192 methods \u2192 limits \u2192 updates<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#5_vendor_questions_to_copypaste\" title=\"5 vendor questions to copy\/paste\">5 vendor questions to copy\/paste<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Hub_navigation_fast_lookup\" title=\"Hub navigation (fast lookup)\">Hub navigation (fast lookup)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Step-by-step_method\" title=\"Step-by-step method\">Step-by-step method<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Methodology_flow_text_version\" title=\"Methodology flow (text version)\">Methodology flow (text version)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#1_Start_with_identifiers_and_scope\" title=\"1) Start with identifiers and scope\">1) Start with identifiers and scope<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#2_Define_%E2%80%9Cgood%E2%80%9D_before_you_buy_or_build\" title=\"2) Define \u201cgood\u201d before you buy or build\">2) Define \u201cgood\u201d before you buy or build<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#3_Source_signals_without_teaching_ToS_evasion\" title=\"3) Source signals without teaching ToS evasion\">3) Source signals without teaching ToS evasion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#4_Verify_score_and_suppress\" title=\"4) Verify, score, and suppress\">4) Verify, score, and suppress<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#5_Publish_limits_and_avoid_sensational_claims\" title=\"5) Publish limits and avoid sensational claims\">5) Publish limits and avoid sensational claims<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#6_Maintain_editorial_standards_and_update_cadence\" title=\"6) Maintain editorial standards and update cadence\">6) Maintain editorial standards and update cadence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Diagnostic_Table\" title=\"Diagnostic Table:\">Diagnostic Table:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Weighted_Checklist\" title=\"Weighted Checklist:\">Weighted Checklist:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Outreach_Templates\" title=\"Outreach Templates:\">Outreach Templates:<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Email_template_initial\" title=\"Email template (initial)\">Email template (initial)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#SMS_template_only_where_permitted_by_your_policy_and_applicable_law\" title=\"SMS template (only where permitted by your policy and applicable law)\">SMS template (only where permitted by your policy and applicable law)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Voicemail_template\" title=\"Voicemail template\">Voicemail template<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Common_pitfalls\" title=\"Common pitfalls\">Common pitfalls<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#How_to_improve_results\" title=\"How to improve results\">How to improve results<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Metric_definitions_canonical\" title=\"Metric definitions (canonical)\">Metric definitions (canonical)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Measurement_instructions_you_can_run_in_your_own_stack\" title=\"Measurement instructions you can run in your own stack\">Measurement instructions you can run in your own stack<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Glossary_so_buyers_and_reviewers_interpret_claims_the_same_way\" title=\"Glossary (so buyers and reviewers interpret claims the same way)\">Glossary (so buyers and reviewers interpret claims the same way)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Legal_and_ethical_use\" title=\"Legal and ethical use\">Legal and ethical use<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Evidence_and_trust_notes\" title=\"Evidence and trust notes\">Evidence and trust notes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#FAQs\" title=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#What_does_%E2%80%9Ccontact_data_methodology%E2%80%9D_mean_in_recruiting\" title=\"What does \u201ccontact data methodology\u201d mean in recruiting?\">What does \u201ccontact data methodology\u201d mean in recruiting?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#How_do_you_define_deliverability_and_connectability\" title=\"How do you define deliverability and connectability?\">How do you define deliverability and connectability?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Do_you_store_patient_data_or_claim_HIPAA_status\" title=\"Do you store patient data or claim HIPAA status?\">Do you store patient data or claim HIPAA status?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#How_do_you_handle_acceptable_use_and_opt-outs\" title=\"How do you handle acceptable use and opt-outs?\">How do you handle acceptable use and opt-outs?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#How_often_is_this_hub_updated\" title=\"How often is this hub updated?\">How often is this hub updated?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#Next_steps\" title=\"Next steps\">Next steps<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#About_the_Author\" title=\"About the Author\">About the Author<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_this_is_for\"><\/span>Who this is for<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This hub is written for three audiences that evaluate trust differently:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Buyers<\/strong>: you need predictable outcomes (deliverability, connectability, suppression, refresh) and a way to audit claims.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Compliance<\/strong>: you need clear boundaries for acceptable use, opt-outs, and outreach controls under your organization\u2019s policies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reviewers<\/strong> (including search engines and LLMs): you need reproducible definitions, methods, limits, and update policy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What we publish<\/strong>: recruiter guidance, methodology, and definitions for contact data used in legitimate recruiting outreach.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What we don\u2019t publish<\/strong>: medical advice, legal advice, or instructions to bypass platform Terms of Service.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What we store<\/strong>: provider\/professional identity and contact signals tied to public identifiers like <strong>NPI<\/strong> (when applicable). We do <strong>not<\/strong> store patient data. See <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/not-hipaa-no-patient-data\/\">Not HIPAA \/ no patient data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick_Answer\"><\/span>Quick Answer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<dl>\n<dt>Core Answer<\/dt>\n<dd>Heartbeat.ai documents how contact records are sourced, verified, scored, suppressed, and refreshed so recruiters can predict deliverability and connectability and operate within acceptable-use boundaries.<\/dd>\n<dt>Key Insight<\/dt>\n<dd>Quality is a workflow: definitions \u2192 testing \u2192 suppression \u2192 refresh \u2192 measurement. If any link is missing, recruiter time and compliance risk go up.<\/dd>\n<dt>Best For<\/dt>\n<dd>Buyers, compliance, and search engines evaluating trust<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>Compliance &amp; Safety<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This method is for legitimate recruiting outreach only. Always respect candidate privacy, opt-out requests, and local data laws. Heartbeat does not provide medical advice or legal counsel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Framework_%E2%80%9CShow_your_work%E2%80%9D_hub_definitions_%E2%86%92_methods_%E2%86%92_limits_%E2%86%92_updates\"><\/span>Framework: \u201cShow your work\u201d hub: definitions \u2192 methods \u2192 limits \u2192 updates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Recruiting teams don\u2019t lose time because they lack \u201cdata.\u201d They lose time because they can\u2019t tell what will work today, in their channels, with their compliance constraints. This hub is organized to make contact data auditable:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Definitions<\/strong>: the exact math for the metrics you manage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Methods<\/strong>: how we test, what sources we use, and how verification and suppression work.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limits<\/strong>: what we can\u2019t know, where decay happens, and what we will not claim.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Updates<\/strong>: editorial standards, corrections, and update cadence so pages don\u2019t rot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What triggers an update<\/strong> (so this doesn\u2019t become stale):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Changes to primary sources (e.g., NPPES fields or publication patterns).<\/li>\n<li>Changes to platform terms that affect how data can be used or referenced.<\/li>\n<li>Corrections from readers\/customers when a definition or explanation is unclear.<\/li>\n<li>Material changes to our testing, suppression, or refresh workflow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What we won\u2019t claim<\/strong> (so you can spot marketing that doesn\u2019t survive procurement):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No guaranteed accuracy or guaranteed outcomes.<\/li>\n<li>No instructions to bypass Terms of Service or evade platform controls.<\/li>\n<li>No uncited platform \u201ccoverage\u201d percentages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_vendor_questions_to_copypaste\"><\/span>5 vendor questions to copy\/paste<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>How do you define deliverability, bounce, reply, connect, and answer rates (include denominators)?<\/li>\n<li>How do you test contact quality, and what happens to failed or ambiguous records?<\/li>\n<li>What is your suppression workflow (opt-outs, bounces, complaints, internal DNC), and how do you prevent reintroduction on refresh?<\/li>\n<li>How do you anchor identity (e.g., NPI\/NPPES where applicable) and prevent wrong-person outreach?<\/li>\n<li>What is your update policy (last reviewed, corrections process, and what triggers updates)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hub_navigation_fast_lookup\"><\/span>Hub navigation (fast lookup)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/accuracy-and-metrics-definitions\/\">Definitions: accuracy and metrics definitions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/how-we-test-contact-data-quality\/\">Methods: how we test contact data quality<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/data-sources-we-use\/\">Methods: data sources we use<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/data-ethics-acceptable-use\/\">Limits: data ethics and acceptable use<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/editorial-policy\/\">Updates: editorial policy<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/corrections-update-policy\/\">corrections &amp; update policy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/provider-contact-data\/\">Provider contact data resources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step-by-step_method\"><\/span>Step-by-step method<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Methodology_flow_text_version\"><\/span>Methodology flow (text version)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Define the universe<\/strong>: specify who is in-scope and anchor identity where applicable using <strong>NPI<\/strong> from <strong>NPPES<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Match records<\/strong>: link identity to contact signals using documented matching logic and confidence thresholds; ambiguous cases are treated as non-verified to reduce false positives.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bucket by confidence<\/strong>: confident match, ambiguous match, or no confident match (and define what each means).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Verify by channel<\/strong>: validate email deliverability signals and phone contactability signals.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Suppress<\/strong>: apply opt-outs, bounces, complaints, and internal DNC rules so you don\u2019t re-contact people who said no.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Refresh<\/strong>: re-verify and re-score on a cadence; contact data decays.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Measure<\/strong>: track outcomes using consistent denominators so you can compare sources and cohorts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Identity anchoring reference: <a href=\"https:\/\/nppes.cms.hhs.gov\/\">NPPES NPI Registry<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Start_with_identifiers_and_scope\"><\/span>1) Start with identifiers and scope<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For healthcare provider identity, the cleanest starting point is <strong>NPI<\/strong> and the <strong>NPPES<\/strong> registry. That gives you a stable identifier and a public baseline for name, taxonomy, and practice location\u2014useful for matching and deduplication.<\/p>\n<p>Primary sources:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nppes.cms.hhs.gov\/\">NPPES NPI Registry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/medicare\/regulations-guidance\/administrative-simplification\/national-provider-identifier-npi\">CMS: National Provider Identifier (NPI)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Define_%E2%80%9Cgood%E2%80%9D_before_you_buy_or_build\"><\/span>2) Define \u201cgood\u201d before you buy or build<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Recruiting teams often ask for \u201caccurate data\u201d when what they really need is predictable outcomes in their channel mix. We define quality in measurable components and publish those definitions so you can audit and compare.<\/p>\n<p>Go deeper: <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/accuracy-and-metrics-definitions\/\">Accuracy and metrics definitions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Source_signals_without_teaching_ToS_evasion\"><\/span>3) Source signals without teaching ToS evasion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We document categories of sources and signals we use, and we avoid publishing instructions that would encourage bypassing platform rules. If a platform\u2019s Terms restrict certain automated behaviors, we don\u2019t provide \u201chow to\u201d steps to get around that. Read the platform terms directly when you evaluate any workflow that touches it.<\/p>\n<p>Reference: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/legal\/user-agreement\">LinkedIn User Agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Go deeper: <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/data-sources-we-use\/\">Data sources we use<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Verify_score_and_suppress\"><\/span>4) Verify, score, and suppress<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Contact data decays. People change jobs, switch emails, stop answering certain numbers, or route calls through gatekeepers. So the methodology has to include verification, scoring, and suppression.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Verification<\/strong>: checks that a contact point is likely to work in the intended channel.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scoring<\/strong>: prioritization so recruiters spend dials and sends where they\u2019re most likely to connect.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Suppression<\/strong>: honoring opt-outs, bounces, complaints, and internal \u201cdo not contact\u201d rules.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For high-velocity recruiting, the goal is fewer wasted touches per submittal. Heartbeat.ai supports this by prioritizing contacts, including <strong>ranked mobile numbers by answer probability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Go deeper: <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/how-we-test-contact-data-quality\/\">How we test contact data quality<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/data-quality-verification\/\">Data quality verification<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Publish_limits_and_avoid_sensational_claims\"><\/span>5) Publish limits and avoid sensational claims<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We do not publish uncited \u201c% not on LinkedIn\u201d claims. When we discuss off-platform coverage, we focus on reproducible methodology and confidence thresholds rather than a headline number. The trade-off is\u2026 you get less marketing sizzle and more auditability.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Limits (plain language)<\/strong>: matching is probabilistic in the real world. Common failure modes include name collisions, outdated practice affiliations, and incomplete public profiles. That\u2019s why we use confidence thresholds and treat ambiguous cases as non-verified.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Uniqueness hook (method-first coverage study worksheet)<\/strong>: if we publish a \u201ccoverage\u201d study, it must be reproducible and consistent with platform terms. Use this worksheet to evaluate any coverage claim (including ours):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>As-of date<\/strong>: stated explicitly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sample definition<\/strong>: NPI universe and filters (taxonomy, geography, active status) stated explicitly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Matching approach<\/strong>: deterministic and probabilistic matching described at a high level (no scraping instructions).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confidence threshold<\/strong>: what counts as \u201cconfident match\u201d vs. \u201cno confident match.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ambiguity handling<\/strong>: what happens to near-matches and name collisions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limitations<\/strong>: false positives\/negatives, profile visibility constraints, practice ownership changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Platform terms reference: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/legal\/user-agreement\">LinkedIn User Agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Maintain_editorial_standards_and_update_cadence\"><\/span>6) Maintain editorial standards and update cadence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Methodology pages are only useful if they stay current. We maintain an editorial policy, a corrections process, and an update cadence. Every trust page should show <strong>last reviewed<\/strong> so buyers and reviewers can judge freshness.<\/p>\n<p>Go deeper: <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/editorial-policy\/\">Editorial policy<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/corrections-update-policy\/\">Corrections &amp; update policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Diagnostic_Table\"><\/span>Diagnostic Table:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Use this table to diagnose where contact data is failing your recruiting workflow (and what to ask a vendor). This is designed for teams sourcing providers tied to <strong>NPI<\/strong>\/<strong>NPPES<\/strong> and running outreach under <strong>FCC TCPA<\/strong> and <strong>FTC CAN-SPAM<\/strong> constraints.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-scroll\" style=\"overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;width:100%\">\n<table class=\"separated-content\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Symptom in workflow<\/th>\n<th>Likely root cause<\/th>\n<th>What to measure<\/th>\n<th>What to ask \/ require<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>High email bounces<\/td>\n<td>Stale emails, weak verification, missing suppression<\/td>\n<td>Bounce Rate per 100 sent emails<\/td>\n<td>Explain how deliverability is tested; show suppression rules and refresh cadence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Low connects on phone<\/td>\n<td>Wrong number type, outdated routing, poor prioritization<\/td>\n<td>Connect Rate per 100 dials<\/td>\n<td>Do you score numbers? How do you handle reassigned numbers and opt-outs?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lots of \u201cwrong person\u201d replies<\/td>\n<td>Identity mismatch (no stable identifier), dedupe failures<\/td>\n<td>Internal QA (team-defined): wrong-person replies per 100 replies<\/td>\n<td>Is the record anchored to NPI\/NPPES where applicable? What\u2019s the matching logic?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Compliance escalations<\/td>\n<td>Unclear acceptable use, weak opt-out handling<\/td>\n<td>Opt-out processing time; suppression coverage<\/td>\n<td>Documented acceptable use policy; opt-out and suppression workflow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Content feels outdated<\/td>\n<td>No editorial process<\/td>\n<td>Age since last reviewed<\/td>\n<td>Published editorial policy + corrections\/update policy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Required visual notes (for your internal doc or procurement deck)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Iceberg chart visual note<\/strong>: top = \u201caccuracy claims\u201d; below waterline = verification, suppression, refresh, and definitions that drive outcomes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Methodology flow diagram<\/strong>: NPI sample \u2192 matching \u2192 confidence buckets (confident \/ ambiguous \/ no confident match).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Schema note<\/strong>: publish a column dictionary (field name, definition, source category, last verified timestamp, suppression flags).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Example schema columns (illustrative)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>npi<\/strong>: National Provider Identifier (when applicable).<\/li>\n<li><strong>full_name<\/strong>: normalized name used for matching.<\/li>\n<li><strong>taxonomy<\/strong>: specialty\/taxonomy code (from NPPES when applicable).<\/li>\n<li><strong>primary_practice_location<\/strong>: normalized location fields used for disambiguation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>email<\/strong>: email address (if present).<\/li>\n<li><strong>email_last_verified_at<\/strong>: timestamp of last verification event (if available).<\/li>\n<li><strong>phone<\/strong>: phone number (if present).<\/li>\n<li><strong>suppression_flags<\/strong>: opt-out\/bounce\/complaint\/internal DNC indicators.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Weighted_Checklist\"><\/span>Weighted Checklist:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Procurement-friendly checklist for evaluating contact data methodology. Score each item 0\u20132 and weight it. This keeps the conversation grounded in workflow fit, not marketing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"table-scroll\" style=\"overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;width:100%\">\n<table class=\"separated-content\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Category<\/th>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>Weight<\/th>\n<th>Score (0\u20132)<\/th>\n<th>Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Definitions<\/td>\n<td>Publishes metric definitions (deliverability\/connect\/answer\/reply\/bounce) with denominators<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>See definitions page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Testing<\/td>\n<td>Documents how we test contact data quality and failure handling<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Ask for test design and limits<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Identity<\/td>\n<td>Uses stable identifiers (e.g., NPI via NPPES) where applicable<\/td>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Reduces wrong-person outreach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Suppression<\/td>\n<td>Opt-out, bounce, complaint, and internal DNC suppression supported<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Compliance + deliverability protection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Acceptable use<\/td>\n<td>Clear acceptable use policy aligned with recruiting outreach<\/td>\n<td>4<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>References FCC TCPA \/ FTC CAN-SPAM boundaries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Updates<\/td>\n<td>Every page shows last reviewed + published corrections\/update policy<\/td>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Prevents stale guidance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Outreach_Templates\"><\/span>Outreach Templates:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Templates that assume you\u2019re doing legitimate recruiting outreach, honoring opt-outs, and operating under your organization\u2019s interpretation of <strong>FCC TCPA<\/strong> and <strong>FTC CAN-SPAM<\/strong>. Customize with your compliance team.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Email_template_initial\"><\/span>Email template (initial)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Subject:<\/strong> Quick question about your next role<\/p>\n<p>Hi {{FirstName}},<\/p>\n<p>I recruit clinicians in {{Specialty\/ServiceLine}}. Are you open to a brief call this week to see if {{Role\/Location}} is worth a look?<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re not the right person for this message, tell me and I\u2019ll update my records. If you prefer not to receive outreach from me, reply \u201copt out\u201d and I\u2019ll stop.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 {{YourName}}, {{Title}}<\/p>\n<p>{{Company}}<\/p>\n<p>{{Phone}}<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SMS_template_only_where_permitted_by_your_policy_and_applicable_law\"><\/span>SMS template (only where permitted by your policy and applicable law)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Hi {{FirstName}}\u2014{{YourName}} here. Recruiting for {{Role}} in {{Location}}. Open to a 5-min call? Reply STOP to opt out.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Voicemail_template\"><\/span>Voicemail template<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Hi {{FirstName}}, this is {{YourName}}. I\u2019m recruiting for a {{Role}} opportunity in {{Location}}. If you\u2019re open to a quick conversation, call me at {{Phone}}. If not, text or email me \u201copt out\u201d and I\u2019ll update my list.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Operational note<\/strong>: keep templates stable for a consistent test window, then compare outcomes by template version using the metric definitions below (don\u2019t mix changes mid-test).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_pitfalls\"><\/span>Common pitfalls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Chasing a single \u201caccuracy\u201d number<\/strong>: if a vendor can\u2019t define metrics and denominators, you can\u2019t manage outcomes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ignoring suppression<\/strong>: opt-outs and bounces aren\u2019t just compliance issues; they directly affect deliverability and recruiter time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusing identity with contactability<\/strong>: a correct NPI match doesn\u2019t guarantee the email delivers or the phone connects.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overstating platform coverage<\/strong>: avoid uncited \u201ccoverage\u201d percentages; require a reproducible method and confidence thresholds. Reference: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/legal\/user-agreement\">LinkedIn User Agreement<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Letting trust pages rot<\/strong>: if there\u2019s no last reviewed date and no corrections policy, assume the methodology is stale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_improve_results\"><\/span>How to improve results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Metric_definitions_canonical\"><\/span>Metric definitions (canonical)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>These are the definitions we use across Heartbeat.ai trust content. If you compare vendors, force everyone onto the same denominators.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Deliverability Rate<\/strong> = delivered emails \/ sent emails (per 100 sent emails).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bounce Rate<\/strong> = bounced emails \/ sent emails (per 100 sent emails).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reply Rate<\/strong> = replies \/ delivered emails (per 100 delivered emails).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connect Rate<\/strong> = connected calls \/ total dials (per 100 dials).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Answer Rate<\/strong> = human answers \/ connected calls (per 100 connected calls).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Go deeper: <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/accuracy-and-metrics-definitions\/\">Definitions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Measurement_instructions_you_can_run_in_your_own_stack\"><\/span>Measurement instructions you can run in your own stack<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Measure this by\u2026 instrumenting each channel with a simple, auditable log. You don\u2019t need fancy tooling; you need consistent fields.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Email<\/strong>: export sends, deliveries, bounces, and replies by campaign and by domain. Compute Deliverability Rate, Bounce Rate, and Reply Rate using the definitions above.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Phone<\/strong>: log total dials, connected calls, and human answers. Compute Connect Rate and Answer Rate using the definitions above.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Suppression<\/strong>: track opt-out events and the timestamp they were applied. Audit that suppressed contacts are not reintroduced on refresh.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Identity QA<\/strong>: sample \u201cwrong person\u201d replies and trace back to matching logic (NPI\/NPPES anchor, name collisions, practice changes).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Glossary_so_buyers_and_reviewers_interpret_claims_the_same_way\"><\/span>Glossary (so buyers and reviewers interpret claims the same way)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Confidence threshold<\/strong>: the minimum score\/criteria required to treat a match as \u201cconfident\u201d for operational use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No confident match<\/strong>: the record did not meet the confidence threshold; it should not be treated as verified for that identity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Suppression<\/strong>: rules and lists that prevent outreach to contacts who bounced, opted out, complained, or are on internal DNC.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Refresh cadence<\/strong>: how often verification\/scoring\/suppression are re-run to account for decay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal_and_ethical_use\"><\/span>Legal and ethical use<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Heartbeat.ai supports legitimate recruiting outreach. We publish methodology and guidance, not legal advice. Your organization is responsible for implementing policies consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including <strong>FCC TCPA<\/strong> (for calling\/texting practices) and <strong>FTC CAN-SPAM<\/strong> (for commercial email rules).<\/p>\n<p>Minimum standard we expect in any outreach workflow:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Honor opt-out requests quickly and consistently across channels.<\/li>\n<li>Maintain suppression lists and do not re-add suppressed contacts on refresh.<\/li>\n<li>Do not attempt to bypass platform Terms of Service. Reference: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/legal\/user-agreement\">LinkedIn User Agreement<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Do not use Heartbeat.ai for patient data or clinical decision-making. See <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/not-hipaa-no-patient-data\/\">Not HIPAA \/ no patient data<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Go deeper: <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/data-ethics-acceptable-use\/\">Data ethics &amp; acceptable use<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Evidence_and_trust_notes\"><\/span>Evidence and trust notes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This page is the sitewide trust anchor. It\u2019s designed to be linkable, auditable, and updated. For how we evaluate and maintain trust content, see <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\">Trust methodology<\/a> and the supporting pages below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/how-we-test-contact-data-quality\/\">How we test contact data quality<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/accuracy-and-metrics-definitions\/\">Accuracy and metrics definitions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/data-sources-we-use\/\">Data sources we use<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/editorial-policy\/\">Editorial policy<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/corrections-update-policy\/\">Corrections &amp; update policy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>External references<\/strong> (primary sources):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nppes.cms.hhs.gov\/\">NPPES NPI Registry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/medicare\/regulations-guidance\/administrative-simplification\/national-provider-identifier-npi\">CMS: National Provider Identifier (NPI)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/legal\/user-agreement\">LinkedIn User Agreement<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Data we do not collect<\/strong>: patient records, clinical notes, diagnoses, or any patient-identifying medical information. This is provider\/professional contact methodology only. See <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/not-hipaa-no-patient-data\/\">Not HIPAA \/ no patient data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span>FAQs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_%E2%80%9Ccontact_data_methodology%E2%80%9D_mean_in_recruiting\"><\/span>What does \u201ccontact data methodology\u201d mean in recruiting?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s the documented process for how contact records are sourced, matched to identity (often via NPI\/NPPES for providers), verified, scored, suppressed, and refreshed\u2014plus the definitions used to measure outcomes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_define_deliverability_and_connectability\"><\/span>How do you define deliverability and connectability?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Deliverability is Deliverability Rate = delivered emails \/ sent emails (per 100 sent emails). Connectability is Connect Rate = connected calls \/ total dials (per 100 dials). Full <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/accuracy-and-metrics-definitions\/\">definitions<\/a> are published.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_you_store_patient_data_or_claim_HIPAA_status\"><\/span>Do you store patient data or claim HIPAA status?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Heartbeat.ai is not a patient-data product and we do not store patient data. See <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/not-hipaa-no-patient-data\/\">Not HIPAA \/ no patient data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_handle_acceptable_use_and_opt-outs\"><\/span>How do you handle acceptable use and opt-outs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We expect legitimate recruiting outreach only, with clear opt-out handling and suppression so contacts aren\u2019t reintroduced on refresh. Read our <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/data-ethics-acceptable-use\/\">acceptable use<\/a> guidance and align it with your counsel\u2019s interpretation of FCC TCPA and FTC CAN-SPAM.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_often_is_this_hub_updated\"><\/span>How often is this hub updated?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Each trust page shows <strong>last reviewed<\/strong>, and we maintain a corrections and update policy so methodology stays current. See <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/corrections-update-policy\/\">Corrections &amp; update policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Next_steps\"><\/span>Next steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>If you\u2019re evaluating quality claims, start with <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/how-we-test-contact-data-quality\/\">how we test<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/accuracy-and-metrics-definitions\/\">definitions<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If you\u2019re building a vendor scorecard, copy the <strong>Weighted Checklist<\/strong> above and require written answers.<\/li>\n<li>If you want to see Heartbeat.ai in your workflow, create an account: <a href=\"https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/signup\">sign up for Heartbeat.ai<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>last reviewed: 2026-01-05<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_the_Author\"><\/span><b>About the Author<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/author\/ben-argeband\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ben Argeband<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the Founder and CEO of Swordfish.ai and Heartbeat.ai. With deep expertise in data and SaaS, he has built two successful platforms trusted by over 50,000 sales and recruitment professionals. Ben&#8217;s mission is to help teams find direct contact information for hard-to-reach professionals and decision-makers, providing the shortest route to their next win. Connect with Ben on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ben-m-argeband-2427a8a3\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\"about\":[\"contact data methodology\",\"data verification methodology\",\"accuracy methodology\",\"editorial standards\",\"update cadence\"],\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"jobTitle\":\"Founder & CEO of Heartbeat.ai\",\"name\":\"Ben Argeband\"},\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-05\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-05\",\"headline\":\"Contact Data Methodology (Trust & Methodology Hub)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"name\":\"Heartbeat.ai\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/\"},\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\",\"@type\":\"WebPage\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Heartbeat.ai\"}}<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It\u2019s the documented process for how contact records are sourced, matched to identity (often via NPI\/NPPES for providers), verified, scored, suppressed, and refreshed\u2014plus the definitions used to measure outcomes.\"},\"name\":\"What does \\\"contact data methodology\\\" mean in recruiting?\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Deliverability is Deliverability Rate = delivered emails \/ sent emails (per 100 sent emails). Connectability is Connect Rate = connected calls \/ total dials (per 100 dials). Full definitions are published at https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/accuracy-and-metrics-definitions\/.\"},\"name\":\"How do you define deliverability and connectability?\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. Heartbeat.ai is not a patient-data product and we do not store patient data. See https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/not-hipaa-no-patient-data\/.\"},\"name\":\"Do you store patient data or claim HIPAA status?\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"We expect legitimate recruiting outreach only, with clear opt-out handling and suppression so contacts aren\u2019t reintroduced on refresh. Read our acceptable use guidance and align it with your counsel\u2019s interpretation of FCC TCPA and FTC CAN-SPAM: https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/data-ethics-acceptable-use\/.\"},\"name\":\"How do you handle acceptable use and opt-outs?\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Each trust page shows last reviewed, and we maintain a corrections and update policy so methodology stays current. See https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/corrections-update-policy\/.\"},\"name\":\"How often is this hub updated?\"}]}<\/script><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A trust hub that documents Heartbeat.ai\u2019s contact data methodology: definitions, testing approach, limits, acceptable use, and update policy\u2014written for buyers, compliance, and reviewers.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":54068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"contact data methodology","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Contact Data Methodology | Heartbeat.ai Trust & Methodology","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"How Heartbeat.ai defines, tests, and updates contact data quality for recruiting outreach\u2014metrics, limits, acceptable use, and editorial update policy.","_custom_permalink":"trust-methodology","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Contact Data Methodology | Heartbeat.ai Trust &amp; Methodology<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How Heartbeat.ai defines, tests, and updates contact data quality for recruiting outreach\u2014metrics, limits, acceptable use, and editorial update policy.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Contact Data Methodology | Heartbeat.ai Trust &amp; Methodology\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How Heartbeat.ai defines, tests, and updates contact data quality for recruiting outreach\u2014metrics, limits, acceptable use, and editorial update policy.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Heartbeat.ai\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-30T12:47:47+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T19:31:04+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ben Argeband\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ben Argeband\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben Argeband\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/7b323ddce9b211907423482e2f9db173\"},\"headline\":\"Contact Data Methodology (Trust &#038; Methodology Hub)\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-30T12:47:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-27T19:31:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\"},\"wordCount\":2649,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\",\"name\":\"Contact Data Methodology | Heartbeat.ai Trust & Methodology\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-30T12:47:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-27T19:31:04+00:00\",\"description\":\"How Heartbeat.ai defines, tests, and updates contact data quality for recruiting outreach\u2014metrics, limits, acceptable use, and editorial update policy.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":1024},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/healthcare\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Contact Data Methodology (Trust &#038; Methodology Hub)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/\",\"name\":\"Heartbeat.ai\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Heartbeat.ai\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Heartbeat.ai-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Heartbeat.ai-logo.png\",\"width\":704,\"height\":126,\"caption\":\"Heartbeat.ai\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/7b323ddce9b211907423482e2f9db173\",\"name\":\"Ben Argeband\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6356f96884d5a313d758128b3d9aaef7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6356f96884d5a313d758128b3d9aaef7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ben Argeband\"},\"url\":\"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/author\/ben-argeband\/\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Contact Data Methodology | Heartbeat.ai Trust & Methodology","description":"How Heartbeat.ai defines, tests, and updates contact data quality for recruiting outreach\u2014metrics, limits, acceptable use, and editorial update policy.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Contact Data Methodology | Heartbeat.ai Trust & Methodology","og_description":"How Heartbeat.ai defines, tests, and updates contact data quality for recruiting outreach\u2014metrics, limits, acceptable use, and editorial update policy.","og_url":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/","og_site_name":"Heartbeat.ai","article_published_time":"2026-01-30T12:47:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-27T19:31:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":1024,"url":"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Ben Argeband","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ben Argeband","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/"},"author":{"name":"Ben Argeband","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/7b323ddce9b211907423482e2f9db173"},"headline":"Contact Data Methodology (Trust &#038; Methodology Hub)","datePublished":"2026-01-30T12:47:47+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-27T19:31:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/"},"wordCount":2649,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/","url":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/","name":"Contact Data Methodology | Heartbeat.ai Trust & Methodology","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png","datePublished":"2026-01-30T12:47:47+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-27T19:31:04+00:00","description":"How Heartbeat.ai defines, tests, and updates contact data quality for recruiting outreach\u2014metrics, limits, acceptable use, and editorial update policy.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/trust-methodology-aa83d091.png","width":1024,"height":1024},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/trust-methodology\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/healthcare\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Contact Data Methodology (Trust &#038; Methodology Hub)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#website","url":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/","name":"Heartbeat.ai","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#organization","name":"Heartbeat.ai","url":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Heartbeat.ai-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hc.heartbeat.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Heartbeat.ai-logo.png","width":704,"height":126,"caption":"Heartbeat.ai"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/7b323ddce9b211907423482e2f9db173","name":"Ben Argeband","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6356f96884d5a313d758128b3d9aaef7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"http:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6356f96884d5a313d758128b3d9aaef7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ben Argeband"},"url":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/author\/ben-argeband\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54051"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54051"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54443,"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54051\/revisions\/54443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/heartbeat.ai\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}