Publishers and Advertisers Can’t Go 100% Digital If They Want to Reach Majority of Doctors
Physicians are more likely to read the print version of new medical journals versus any type of digital version, including full digital reproductions, the publication’s website as well as tablet and smart phone applications, according to the Kantar Media Sources and Interactions Study, September 2012 - Medical/Surgical Edition. For 2013 data, click here.
The study reveals that 90% of doctors read the print version of current issues of medical journals, far more than the 48% reading journals digitally. Of all doctors surveyed, 98% read current issues of journals and 44% utilize two or more platforms for reading.
“Over the past few years, print has continued to be the most effective technique to reach doctors through journals, going against the widely held notion that print is on its way out," said Dave Emery, General Manager of Healthcare Research at Kantar Media. "At the same time, the fact that younger physicians and key opinion leaders are more likely to access articles digitally demonstrates a critical shift that publishers and advertisers need to know as they strive to reach the next generation of doctors."
The study measured physicians across the following 21 specialties: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Allergy, Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Emergency Medicine, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Hematology, Infectious Diseases, Neurology, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Oncology, Orthopedic Surgery, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Pulmonary Diseases and Urology. The study surveyed 1,500 doctors during Q3 2012, with an overall margin of error of +/- 2.1% at the 90% confidence level.
The doctors in the following specialties topped the list of print readers, at 96%:
- Family Medicine
- Dermatology
- Pulmonology
Internal Medicine doctors are the lowest of the specialties in print readership, at 80%, demonstrating that print still has a lot of value.
The audiences for full digital reproductions are strongest among:
- Infectious Disease specialists (50%)
- General Surgeons (43%)
- Allergists (41%)
Internal Medicine doctors, Anesthesiologists, and Diabetes/Endocrinologists (all 25%) have the greatest readership on publication websites; while tablet readership is highest among Anesthesiologists at 19%, Neurologists and Cardiologists (both 17%).
Emergency Medicine doctors have the highest use of smartphone applications for reading journals at 16%.
Nearly Half of Doctors Surveyed are Multiplatform Readers
Even through print seems to dominate, with 9 out of 10 doctors reading current journals in print, 40% use digital as well. Only 8% of studied physicians read digital-only editions, while 50% only read print versions.
Age and Key Opinion Leader Status are Key Factors in Usage Differences
Unsurprisingly, younger doctors are more inclined to be digital readers than their older colleagues. However, even among the youngest demographic, print is still the most-used platform for reading current issues of journals.
Almost one quarter of the doctors younger than 35 read current journals via smartphone apps, which is 6% higher than their use of tablet apps for this purpose. (Note that 88% of this age group uses smartphones for professional purposes—twice the number that uses a tablet for professional purposes.)
Key Opinion Leaders are heavier users of digital platforms for current issue readership than the general population, with twice the tablet app usage, 87% higher digital reproduction readership, and 2/3 higher website readership. Their print readership falls 6% below the general physician population.
About the Sources & Interactions Study
The Sources & Interactions™ Study is a detailed examination of doctors’ online and mobile activities, e-detailing experience, and exposure to (and evaluation of) information sources including traditional and emerging media, pharma reps, CME, convention and more. The study is conducted every six months and targets more than 3,000 physicians annually across 21 specialties, exploring their media preferences and habits. Sources & Interactions was designed to help manufacturers and their agencies cost-effectively allocate resources to their overall promotional mix, and provide publishers with specific insight about where their offerings fit into physicians (and other healthcare professionals’) information inventory.
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