Introduction
The majority of physicians surveyed in Italy and Spain access the Internet for work-related purposes five hours per week or less. The viability of using Internet-enabled applications to reach physicians is dependent largely on both the level of access physicians have to an Internet connection both at work and at home, as well as the time physicians have available to go online during their workday.
Scope
- Overview of physicians’ current online behavior and information needs in Italy and Spain
- Identification of the issues that limit adoption of Internet-enabled technologies within the medical community
- Examination of opportunities to reach physicians through Internet-enabled channels, such as eDetailing, online forums and eCME
- Recommendations for how best to reach physicians by leveraging current and future opportunities in the eHealth market
Report Highlights
Interest in eDetailing may increase as the market matures and eDetailing vendors become more proficient in capturing the interests of specific physician groups. Local knowledge is very important within the eDetailing market. Vendors need to be aware of the concerns that most affect physicians in a given geographic or regulatory area.
Hesitation among physicians to participate stems from concerns about anonymity and privacy while online. These concerns, however, are frequently overshadowed by the convenience of accessing information through online channels.
The number of surveyed physicians who report that they would like to participate in eCME courses indicates that CME delivered online has the potential to become one of the most ubiquitous and influential online channels within the medical community.
Reasons to Purchase
- Understand where and from which online sources physicians are most likely to access medical information
- Recognize the importance of tailoring content delivered through online channels to meet the specific need and concerns of physicians in a given market
- Learn how physicians’ current views on eDetailing, eCME and online forums will affect future levels of adoption of these key technologies
ABOUT DATAMONITOR 2
ACTION POINTS 6
Scope of this report 6
Key points to take away from Datamonitor’s research and analysis 7
Opportunities to Meet Physicians’ Demands for Online Information 7
The Market for eDetailing Solutions 7
Online Forums: Current and Future Demand 8
eCME: Leveraging Physician Demand 8
OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET PHYSICIANS’ DEMANDS FOR ONLINE INFORMATION IN ITALY AND SPAIN 8
Key opportunities to meet physician demand 9
Current levels of access to Internet-enabled applications and services 11
Using the Internet for work-related purposes 12
One-half of work-related online content is accessed by physicians from home 13
EHEALTH MARKET OPPORTUNITIES IN ITALY AND SPAIN 14
The Market for eDetailing Solutions 15
Over one-half of surveyed physicians regularly participate in an eDetailing session twice per month or more often 15
Future levels of participation are in question as physicians weigh the pros and cons of seeing fewer live sales reps 16
Loss of personal interaction with sales reps slows adoption by many physicians 17
The future of eDetailing in Italy and Spain 18
Online Forums: Current and Future Demand 19
Online forums are a popular way for many physicians to access information 20
The number of physicians who participate in online forums will continue to grow 21
Physicians prefer to use targeted discussion forums that allow them to remain anonymous 22
eCME: Leveraging Physician Demand 23
The majority of physicians participate in CME programs over weekends and after work 24
Over 90% of surveyed physicians would like to participate in eCME programs in the future 25
Links that make eCME programs more accessible will encourage greater physician participation 26
Slow Internet connections and a lack of awareness of available programs prevent many physicians from participating in eCME courses 27
THE FUTURE DECODED 28
The Future Decoded: eDetailing 28
The Future Decoded: Online Forums 30
The Future Decoded: eCME 32
APPENDIX 35
List of figures 35
Tables 36
References 37
Websites 37
Datamonitor Research 38
Methodology 38
Datamonitor’s Physician eHealthInsight Survey 38
Analyst contacts 38
Related Datamonitor eHealthInsight research, 2005 - 2006 39
How to contact experts in your industry 42
Other selected research from the 'Italy' category:
Pharmaceuticals: Italy Industry Guide
OTC Pharmaceuticals in Italy
Other selected research from the 'Spain' category:
The eHealth Market in Italy and Spain: Maximizing Consumer Channels of Influence
The eHealth Market in Italy and Spain: Key Trends in Physician Channels of Influence
Other selected research from the 'IT & eHealth' category:
Physician Practice Websites: Strengthening Patient-Physician Relationships
eCME: Leveraging Online Continuing Medical Education as a Channel of Influence
Other selected research from the 'Markets' category:
Streamlining Information in the Pharmaceutical Industry with PLM (Review Report)
The Therapeutic Proteins Outlook To 2007: An analysis of leading products and late-stage pipeline developments