Marketing to U.S. Digital Physicians: Engaging Physicians Across Screens and Platforms
Changes in U.S. policy have accelerated the implementation and use of electronic health records (EHRs) in the practice, disrupting physician workflow and decision making. In the meanwhile, reliance on websites and apps via smartphones, tablets, and desktops has become pervasive, mostly to access information and communicate with peers, but increasingly also to share patient data and monitor patients remotely. In 2013, 90% of U.S. physicians said the internet was an indispensable source of professional information.
Other changes in practice type and prescribing autonomy are also impacting marketers. A growing share of physicians are employed by hospitals and/or part of ACOs or other models that tend to not only limit sales rep access but also impose more restrictions on prescribing choice. In 2014, two-thirds of physicians agree that restrictions from formularies and guidelines will increasingly limit their medication and treatment decisions.
