Patients Who Bring Health Information From The Internet Get More Time With Doctor

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 14 Jul 2008 - 10:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

An increasing number of "healthcare overachievers" are bringing health information from the Internet to the doctor's office to discuss during the office visit. In fact, virtually all physicians report at least some of their patients arrive armed with health information from the Internet, according to the latest physician market research study released by pharmaceutical market research company Manhattan Research. These patients are being rewarded for their efforts, as the majority of physicians report that they spend more time with the patient as a result of their bringing information in to the office visit.

"The Internet has empowered consumers to take an increasingly active role in their healthcare management and their relationship with the physician," says Meredith Abreu Ressi, VP of research at Manhattan Research. "The conversation with the physician used to be a one-way, didactic interaction. But as consumers are increasingly bearing the responsibility for their healthcare costs and decisions, this balance of power is shifting. The Internet is a key tool consumers use to educate themselves on treatment options, and some empowered consumers are discussing their findings with their physician."

The trends in the article are derived from Taking the Pulse® v8.0, one of Manhattan Research's U.S. physician market research and advisory services. Topics from this year's study include physician Web 2.0, non-personal selling, pharma CRM, product site visitation, mobile adoption, search engine use, electronic medical record adoption, and more.

Learn more U.S. Physician Market Trends
Download the Electronic Medical Records White Paper
Sign up for Manhattan Research's pharma newsletter

About Taking the Pulse® v8.0

Taking the Pulse® v8.0 was conducted via telephone and online survey methodology in Q1 2008 with a nationally representative sample of 1,832 practicing U.S. physicians.

In addition to providing physician market trends, clients can further segment Taking the Pulse® v8.0 to derive statistically relevant insight across the following specialties: Allergists, Cardiologists, Dermatologists, Electro Physiologists, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinologists, Gastroenterologists, Surgeons, Hematology Oncologists, Infectious Disease Specialists, Medical Oncologists, Nephrologists, Neurologists, Obstetrics/Gynecologists (OB/GYNs), Ophthalmologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, Pediatricians, Primary Care Physicians (General Practice, Family Practice and Internal Medicine), Psychiatrists, Pulmonologists, Radiologists, Rheumatologists and Urologists.

Other Manhattan Research Products and Services

Manhattan Research conducts annual research studies among physicians and consumers, including Taking the Pulse® Europe, Taking the Pulse® Asia, ePharma Physician®, Cybercitizen® Health, Cybercitizen® Health Europe, and ePharma Consumer®. Each study serves a unique purpose and focuses on different aspects of information technology adoption. Broad consumer and physician research is complemented by targeted analysis among more than 80 consumer therapeutic segments and 25 physician specialist segments.

Manhattan Research is a leading market research and advisory firm for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.

Manhattan Research