98% of Chinese Physicians Use Internet

BEIJING — (Marketwire) — 12/12/11 — Ninety-eight percent of physicians in China use the Internet, and they spend 5.1 hours a week on activities related to their practice and on specialty-related activities, according to a new study by , a leading healthcare-focused global consultancy and marketing insights company, and DXY, the largest online academic portal for Chinese physicians and life sciences professionals.

According to the Digital Life Physician China survey, Chinese physicians spend about 42% of their online time, or 2.6 hours a week, on knowledge-based activities, including searching for articles, books or disease information; hospital/department information; and conferences and exhibitions. Continuing medical education (CME) takes up 1.9 hours a week, and they spend approximately 1.4 hours a week connecting with their peers online, including writing blogs, articles and reviews. Physicians spend only 0.6 hours a week interacting with their patients online, including answering patients- questions and participating in patient education and support programs.

“The Digital Life Physician survey showed that Chinese medical professionals are more digitally savvy than anyone expected — almost 100% have Web access. This indicates a huge potential for using digital channels to support marketing efforts,” says Simon Li, General Manager, Kantar Health China. “The Internet is a significant source of information for physicians, but it-s currently underused by manufacturers to engage and influence them. Pharma has two huge opportunities for engaging Chinese physicians online: by providing new content and educational materials, and by influencing the online opinion leaders and monitoring the hubs to manage and control online marketing influences.”

Data for Digital Life Physician China were compiled via online (4,857 participants) and offline (2,070) surveys and analyzed by Kantar Health and complemented by DXY-s data to ensure actionable results. The survey uncovers physicians- attitudes, needs and motivations to provide unique insights to drive marketing success in the digital world.

Kantar Health is a global, evidence-based decision support partner to the world-s leading pharmaceutical, biotech, device and diagnostic companies. Our 700+ staff act as catalysts, working closely with customers to drive distinctive decision-making that helps them prioritize product development and portfolios, differentiate their brands and ensure product profitability after launch. We are unique in that we bring together clinical, medical and methodological expertise, commercial/marketing know-how and proprietary data. It is this rare combination, together with our unparalleled stakeholder reach, that enables us to mobilize incisive, imaginative and timely ROI-driven solutions, empowering clients to deliver better healthcare options to their customers.

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