Ipsos Digital Doctor 2015 Report: What Do Doctors Really Want? They’re Not Sure Themselves!

Editor’s Note: Ipsos Healthcare is one of the world’s largest healthcare research and marketing agencies, dedicated to gaining insights into the motivations, interactions, and influence of key stakeholders that drive commercial success. With more than 600 specialized pharmaceutical researchers across 40 countries, it works closely with leading global pharmaceutical companies and holds a prominent position in key emerging markets. Recently, Ipsos released its 2015 Digital Doctor Report. VCBeat has excerpted the report’s main content to explore how physicians perceive the development of internet-based healthcare and the role they believe it will play in the future.

European healthcare systems are facing numerous challenges, including an aging population, persistent chronic health conditions, and limited budgets. It is widely acknowledged that telemedicine has the potential to help bridge the gap between optimal medical care and service efficiency; however, this cannot be achieved without the input and support of healthcare professionals.

New Digital Physician Tracking Measures:
• Behaviors involving the recommendation or use of medical apps and forums
• Attitudes toward emerging internet-based healthcare technologies
• Concerns Regarding the Adoption of Emerging Mobile Technologies
• Outlook on which therapeutic area will benefit the most in the future

More Than Just a Trend
Internet healthcare technology is not merely regarded as a “trend” driven solely by physicians, but rather as an irreversible developmental trajectory; nevertheless, uncertainty remains regarding the extent of its future impact.

Doctors are actively engaging with emerging internet healthcare technologies. Last year,

Most physicians disagree with the view that internet-based medical tools, such as mobile apps, are merely a passing fad.

The current situation is highly complex, with many physicians holding divergent views on the future application of internet-based healthcare.

Doctors believe that internet-based medical tools are becoming increasingly important.

Differing Perspectives
Although physicians acknowledge that internet-based healthcare technology represents an inevitable developmental trend, they have identified several concerning issues as patient utilization increases.

Are Apps or Wearable Devices Reliable Means of Monitoring Health Data?

Can mobile technology help simplify access to healthcare services? In comparison,

Help or Harm
The industry is concerned that internet-based healthcare may lead to conflicts between doctors and patients. Doctors worry that patients may misinterpret data, thereby increasing the likelihood of hypochondria.

Physicians have recognized the potential of the internet in certain therapeutic areas. To ensure future success, mobile technology developers and healthcare service providers urgently need to address current challenges.

Will doctors worry that apps will cause more doctor-patient conflicts?

And their primary concern is digital health tools

Doctors believe that physicians and patients are most likely to benefit in areas such as diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory diseases.

What Do Doctors Really Want? They Don’t Know Either!
When asked the above questions, 73% of doctors did not have a clear concept of what they could gain from internet healthcare solutions. Among those who gave affirmative answers, "monitoring" was considered the most useful primary function. The scope of monitoring includes diabetes medication information, patient adherence (lifestyle, exercise), hospital admission support, etc.

Doctors do not believe that virtual medical representatives will replace face-to-face communication between doctors and patients.

Physicians are uncertain whether pharmaceutical companies should take the lead in developing apps and disease management tools; only 11% agreed, 23% disagreed, and the remaining 66% remained on the sidelines.

Skepticism Regarding Pharmaceutical Companies' Motives
"Physicians are skeptical about the motivations of pharmaceutical companies in the development of internet-based healthcare."

They are more inclined to visit general websites rather than pharmaceutical company websites to obtain drug information, at a ratio of 61% vs. 46%. The proportions for other channels, such as online physician forums, online patient forums, and healthy lifestyle apps, are 34%, 32%, and 26%, respectively.

Physicians’ levels of distrust toward pharmaceutical companies and technology firms vary. Forty percent of physicians do not trust apps developed by pharmaceutical companies, compared with only 24% for those developed by technology companies.

How Can Pharmaceutical Companies Play a Meaningful Role in the Future Development of Internet Healthcare?
Today, physicians have acknowledged that internet-based healthcare (in forms such as lifestyle apps and wearable devices) is part of the future of healthcare; however, they remain unclear about its specific application scenarios and methods. While doctors believe mobile technology holds promise in the field of chronic disease management, there are no definitive protocols for its practical implementation. The primary obstacles to be overcome in the development of internet-based healthcare include ensuring that developed technologies are simple to use, reliable (with low potential error rates), seamlessly integrated with existing systems, and optimized for security.

Pharmaceutical companies possess substantial industry resources and can connect to a broader range of healthcare services, making them strong supporters of the development of internet-based healthcare. However, physicians remain highly wary of their potential commercial motives. So, how can pharmaceutical companies overcome this hurdle? What marketing strategies can help alleviate physicians’ distrust? These are not only urgent challenges facing pharmaceutical companies but also issues worthy of deep reflection across all sectors of the internet healthcare industry.

By Chen Xin | Edited by Mo Renying