The eHealth Market in Italy: Understanding Physician and Consumer Needs

Introduction

Italian physicians have one of the highest work-related Internet penetration rates among the six major markets surveyed. Among consumers and physicians in Italy, Internet penetration is growing, and pharmaceutical companies can benefit from this by providing online services to help increase the penetration of eHealth services, such as eDetailing and online patient monitoring.

Scope

• Presents the key findings from Datamonitor’s 2003 Physician Insight Survey, involving interviews with 54 Italian physicians
• Investigates physician opinions relating to eHealth topics such as physician practice websites and disease management and compliance tools
• Assesses the current status of the markets for eCME and online expert opinion
• Explores the future of the key eHealth markets in Italy, such as ePrescribing, eDetailing and practice websites, and the resulting implications

Highlights

Italy has the highest penetration of online CME (eCME) among the five major markets surveyed in Europe. Forty-three per cent of surveyed physicians in Italy have used eCME services, compared to only 22% in Germany, 13% in Spain and 16% in France.

In 2002, 13% of surveyed Italian PCPs stated that they would like to use ePrescribing services. In 2003, this figure increased to 34% of surveyed PCPs, which suggests an increase in the awareness of such capabilities among physicians in Italy.

The penetration of practice websites among PCPs in Italy is high and is second only to Germany among surveyed European countries. Forty-four per cent of surveyed Italian physicians have a practice website for their office.

Reasons to Purchase

• Understand the current and prospective eHealth market in Italy and where the key opportunities for your company lie
• Reach physicians and consumers through the different eHealth initiatives by knowing and addressing the online requirements of each audience
• Bolster your company’s online market presence within Italy by investing in the most appropriate Internet-based tools and services