Mobile's Effect on Healthcare for Consumers and Healthcare Professionals

by Dave Emery

Mobile is changing the ways in which adults access healthcare information as well as the ways in which physicians conduct their daily professional tasks.

According to the 2013 MARS OTC/DTC Study, over half of the adult population (about 129 million) own smartphones or tablets. About 49% of adults own smartphones and 27% own tablets. Of these adults, 44% use the device for health/medical information and 24% read magazines on their device.

Among the almost 116 million adult U.S. smartphone owners, we found that:

• 34% (40 million) use their smartphone to look for health-related info
• 25% (29 million) use their smartphone to track health/exercise/diet

On the professional side, the majority of physicians (78%) use a smartphone for professional purposes, according to current wave data from the Sources & Interactions Study, September 2013: Medical/Surgical Edition. Slightly less than half (49%) use tablets for professional purposes and 43% use both devices. Five of 10 receive medical journals/newspaper/magazines via a mobile device.

Kantar Media’s Sources & Interactions™ Studies offer a detailed examination of healthcare professionals’ online and mobile activities, e-detailing experience, and exposure to (and evaluation of) information sources including traditional and emerging media, pharma reps, CME, conventions and more. The Medical/Surgical edition, conducted every six months, reports on the media preferences and habits of more than 3,000 physicians across 22 specialties.

Kantar Media’s MARS OTC/DTC Study helps agencies, marketers and media make better healthcare media and marketing decisions. It ties multimedia consumption to medical ailments, pharma brands, attitudes and opinions about healthcare and many other data points. A large sample of about 20,000 respondents provides stable and reliable information across categories and brands. Gain insights into category and product usage for 500+ OTC and Rx remedies, detailed information for 70 health conditions, including treatment options and much more.