Physicians often look to pharmaceutical companies' websites for educational information about their products. But as pharma firms step up digital advertising efforts, only 27 percent of physicians said they still consider pharma websites credible sources for medical data.
That finding comes from Manhattan Research's "Taking the Pulse U.S. 2017" study. The report is based on responses from 2,784 U.S. physicians across more than 25 specialties, and aimed to examine physicians' use of emerging technologies as well as their communication habits.
Here are three key findings on physician-pharma marketing and communications.
1. Roughly 70 percent of physicians said it is essential pharma companies provide "education resources rooted in science" to gain physician buy-in. Yet about half of physicians surveyed said no pharma company provides quality scientific information online.
2. Physicians reported feeling overwhelmed by pharma ads. Sixty-two percent of respondents said information pharma companies offer on third-party websites for healthcare professionals are "always ads" rather than educational material.
3. About half of physicians use online video content in their decision-making process, yet 52 percent don't believe any pharma companies are doing a "good job" at providing quality physician video content.