The eHealth Market in France: Assessing the Online Needs of Physicians and Consumers

Introduction

The eHealth market in France, driven by patients’ and physicians’ demands for online services, will provide opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to reach physicians and patients through online channels. In particular, Datamonitor finds potential for near-term growth in the eCompliance and eCME markets, and for long-term growth in the ePrescribing and eSampling markets.

Scope

• Examines the eHealth market in the EU and France from a physician and patient perspective, and identifies future directions for market growth
• Consumer and physician opinions on their Internet usage, information requirements, and current online tools are presented in a PowerPoint Slidepack
• The results of Datamonitor’s survey with physicians and consumers in France are provided in an Excel Datapack

Highlights

The number of consumers who seek out specific sites based on offline advertising, such as TV or print ads, is increasing. However, the bulk of consumers continue to initially identify sites using search engines. Therefore, search engine optimization of websites is a key determinant of success in France.

Website designers must aim to provide key messages up front, and then use complementary site features to support key points and to draw users past the front page. The challenge is to provide enough relevant content to keep return users at a site without overwhelming those who are less comfortable using the Internet as an information source.

Patient influence on the prescribing process continues to grow. The notable increase in requests for specific medications and treatments suggests that existing consumer-facing campaigns have been successful. However, more patient-facing websites are needed, particularly in areas of growing importance such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Reasons to Purchase

• Understand physicians’ and consumers’ perspectives on adopting key technologies within the French eHealth market
• Compare the opinions of three key groups of prescribers: primary care physicians, cardiologists and oncologists
• Identify which eHealth initiatives have the greatest potential for growth in the short-term, and which require longer-term investment