U.S. Doctors Are Heavy Users of Social Networks, Online Video

Survey finds physicians very active on Sermo and other specialized social networking sites.

Some 60 percent of doctors in the United States use social networking sites for physicians, or are interested in joining them, and they write more prescriptions than medical colleagues who are not active in such sites. These are among the findings in a new report from Manhattan Research, a New York-based pharmaceutical and healthcare market research company.

According to “Taking the Pulse v8.0”, which surveyed more than 1,800 doctors nationwide, physicians active in online communities tend to be primary care doctors, female and, perhaps not surprisingly, younger than average. And a statistic that should catch the attention of online video creators: 83 percent of physicians watch online videos, compared with 34 percent of all U.S. adults.

Sermo and Medscape Physician Connect are the two largest physician-only online communities, and the chief subjects of “Taking the Pulse.” In addition to interactive discussions, both offer continuing education credits, job boards, and access to medical journals. While their traffic is a blip next to sites like Facebook and MySpace — both Sermo and the Medscape site claim to have attracted more than 100,000 physicians since launch — they share the uncertainty facing all social networking sites as they attempt to monetize their audiences.

But Mark Bard, president of Manhattan Research, says the physician sites have something that the broad sites lack: A highly defined, and highly influential user base. “The pharmaceutical industry still spends more money online on consumers than on doctors, which to us is strange,” he says.

Michael Maher, senior partner and director of client services at Greater Than One, a New York City-based digital marketing agency for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, believes that will change. He sees the social network sites as ways for companies to connect with doctors for clinical trials and the testing of new medical equipment and electronic prescribing software. Marketers, he says, need to ask themselves what they can do to stimulate the discussion, adding “every pharmaceutical company we work with is trying to figure out how to make this work.”

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior
Whitepaper | Mobile

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups
Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people
Whitepaper | Digital Marketing

Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its peopl...

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy
Report | Digital Transformation

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

1m

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource