Doctors views on online networks and e-Detailing

The Internet has become an integral part of the healthcare conversation, presenting opportunities for sharing, developing and educating. Pharma, while somewhat impeded by ambiguous regulation, is exploring how to take advantage of these opportunities.

By Alexandra Uprichard on Jun 21, 2011

A recent report by Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), which taps into the company's unique database of doctor partners, provides pharma with interesting research as to how these channels can be used effectively and how to maximize doctors' receptivity. Readers get a ‘fly on the wall' perspective through GLG's live conversations with doctors.

Interestingly, while the report acknowledges that doctors still struggle with the volume of information thrown at them versus the time they have available, most participants seemed satisfied with their pharmaceutical relationships. However, physicians still see communication with sales reps as adding unnecessary stress to their schedules. So, many doctors seek out added rewards or incentives for participating. Perhaps unsurprisingly, doctor respondents enjoy the social interaction with and perks from their pharma reps more than the direct benefits to their practice and patients.

There is obviously a fundamental paradox here and it highlights the difficulty for pharma, which is increasingly scrutinized for offering such perks.

Key resources for learning about new solutions for patients are conferences and meetings (e.g., ASCO), and industry literature and journals. Communication with pharma companies is still primarily through the traditional rep. But some doctors are delegating these relationships to office management, a development that is a cause of concern for pharma.

The report explores doctor opinions on the various online routes available to them, finding which they prefer and which they simply don't like using. For example, e-Detailing seems rather unpopular, with respondents citing "not enough of an incentive" and "annoying ads" as some of the negatives.

Though online promotion offers convenience, participants overwhelmingly prefer to learn about medical products directly from medical experts. Are doctors simply more resistant to change or too busy to break from tradition?

You can download the full report here, free of charge.