Physician specialists are not all alike!
MD Analytics surveyed 100 U.S. physician specialists on topics such as work-life balance, patient care, pharma companies, technology, and information sources with the goal of identifying attitudinal differences in order to help pharma marketers more effectively communicate with their target audience.
Four segments emerged.
According to our recent research among physician specialists, the younger generation is more concerned with patient empowerment and support than the older generation.
Although almost all specialists believe patients should be more directly involved in their care (96% Younger vs. 92% Older), there are some generational gaps around attitudes toward patient support, treatment decisions and information.
The top two day-to-day challenges are the same for Younger and Older specialists. However, for Younger specialists, their number one challenge, lack of patient support to enable patients to play more of a self-management role (85%), stands out far above their number two, lack of coverage for best treatment options (63%); for Older specialists, these two items are equally challenging (73% and 77%, respectively). Furthermore, Younger specialists are much less satisfied with manufacturer patient support programs (PSPs) than their older counterparts (Younger 65% vs. Older 86%).
According to our recent research among physician specialists, the younger generation is less engaged with and reliant on pharmaceutical companies than the older generation.
When it comes to information sources used in the past six months, online and paper-based medical journal articles are the most common resource for both Younger and Older specialists. However, differences exist in the use of pharmaceutical sales reps (Older 44% vs. Younger 33%) and significantly in the use of pharmaceutical websites (Older 33% vs. Younger 15%).
There are also differences in preferred information sources for new products and services, with Older specialists having a stronger preference for industry-provided information. Half (52%) of Older specialists prefer sales reps, significantly higher than one-quarter (28%) of Younger ones. Similarly, Older specialists are more likely to prefer manufacturer websites (Older 50% vs. Younger 38%).
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Now at the three-year mark, the US healthcare workforce is still trying to recover and labor shortages are stressing clinicians and hospitals. MD Analytics surveyed 50 primary care physicians and 109 specialists about the effect of the COVID crisis on staff shortages, as well as their attitudes about support from pharmaceutical companies.
In the past year alone, four-fifths of physicians (80% PCPs and 78% Specialists) say they have been impacted by staff shortages, and almost all (98% of PCPs and 87% of Specialists) find the situation worse compared to pre-pandemic. Hospitals (both Teaching and Non-Teaching) are hit the hardest compared to other settings, as well as those in the South relative to other regions.
For many of us, remnants of the pandemic feel like a distant memory. We are back to “normal” – enjoying family gatherings, restaurants and shopping. Even in New York, one of the last COVID-era mandates has come to an end, with masks and face coverings in healthcare facilities no longer required. However, the healthcare system is still dealing with the aftermath, including the impact on physicians.
MD Analytics surveyed 50 primary care physicians and 109 specialists about the effect of the COVID crisis on their personal and professional lives. As compared to pre-pandemic, several aspects have gotten worse among physicians.