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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.
Physician specialists are not all alike!
MD Analytics surveyed 100 Canadian physician specialists on topics such as work-life balance, patient care, pharma companies, technology, and information sources to identify attitudinal differences 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%).
Key insights have emerged in a new study conducted by MD Analytics in terms of differences in how younger and older Canadian physician specialists perceive aspects of patient care.
Building on previous findings that showcased generational differences among primary care physicians, MD Analytics conducted a follow up study in March of 2023 that included a mix of 100 Canadian physician specialists. The overall objective of this study was to determine the extent to which a generational gap may exist in approaches to treatment and patient management. In our analysis, we divided specialists into two groups: younger physicians, those under 45, and older physicians, those 45 and older.
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%).
Key insights have emerged in a new study conducted by MD Analytics regarding perceived work life imbalances among younger and older Canadian physician specialists.
As a prelude to the latest data, we reflect on previous research we conducted with physicians in October of 2022 which showed that the majority of specialists in Canada felt overwhelmed and burned out compared to pre-pandemic times. While this is true across medical specialties, the data also hinted that this feeling may be more pronounced based on age.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably impacted our healthcare system in many ways. One of the most significant impacts has been staffing shortages among Canadian healthcare workers.
Since the start of the pandemic there has been a substantial rise in shortages of healthcare workers across Canada. To what extent does this shortage affect physicians and their practice? How severe has the staffing shortage been in the past year? What type of support do physicians seek in order to reduce the workloads in their practice? To answer these questions MD Analytics surveyed 50 family medicine physicians and 90 specialists on the topic of healthcare staffing shortages across Canada, post pandemic.
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.
For most of the general population, the pandemic is starting to feel like it’s a thing of the past. However, while most of us have found a sense of normalcy within our lives, the healthcare system is still reeling from its effects thereby impacting healthcare workers within it. What is the impact on Canadian physicians? What are the current consequences of the pandemic on their personal and professional lives? More specifically, how does this all impact the management of their workload? MD Analytics surveyed 50 family medicine physicians and 90 specialists on the topic of their professional and mental state 3 years after the onset of the pandemic.
We are sometimes reminded with stories, movies and books that companies have an origin too. It must have started somehow. Someone must have had a vision or an idea and then worked hard to get it going.
MD Analytics is no different in this way and its story follows its own certain path with many team members supporting the company’s growth and quality deliverables throughout the years. At the forefront is the CEO, Tyler Hassman, a fourth generation Canadian, born in Saskatchewan who migrated to British Columbia in the late 90’s; where he held several sales positions during the “dot com” days and met other ambitious soon-to-be entrepreneurs along the way. Working long hours tirelessly and then meeting with friends after work to talk about business was the way he spent most of his days. Day after day, year after year working and evolving along with the business.
We are sometimes reminded with stories, movies and books that companies have an origin too. It must have started somehow. Someone must have had a vision or an idea and then worked hard to get it going.
MD Analytics is no different in this way and its story follows its own certain path with many team members supporting the company’s growth and quality deliverables throughout the years. At the forefront is the CEO, Tyler Hassman, a fourth generation Canadian, born in Saskatchewan who migrated to British Columbia in the late 90’s; where he held several sales positions during the “dot com” days and met other ambitious soon-to-be entrepreneurs along the way. Working long hours tirelessly and then meeting with friends after work to talk about business was the way he spent most of his days. Day after day, year after year working and evolving along with the business.
COVID-19 caused significant shift in interactions between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. Most hospitals and medical offices limited visitors to patients, personnel, and caregivers when necessary. This made it necessary for pharmaceutical companies to focus more on virtual and digital interactions to continue outreach to their key stakeholders. At MD Analytics, we have been monitoring these trends. In our latest poll, we surveyed 50 US-based PCPs and 109 specialists on the topic.
Since its initial onset, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how physicians interact with pharmaceutical companies. Government restrictions forced companies to quickly adapt and move to more remote forms of interactions. While in-person interactions are once again a viable option for communication, will they return to pre-pandemic levels? MD Analytics has been monitoring these trends over the past few years and we have recently interviewed 50 Canadian GPs and 90 Canadian specialists in our latest survey on the topic.
With COVID-19 about to enter its 3rd year, it continues to significantly impact the lives of Canadians and the practices of HCPs in the country. Even though it has not been easy, physicians have continuously adapted how they manage their patients and how they interact with key healthcare stakeholders during the pandemic. MD Analytics has been monitoring these trends over the past few years and we have recently interviewed 140 physicians in our latest survey on the topic.
We have all experienced changes in our work since COVID-19 – some of these changes are certainly for the better. Physicians are no different and have experienced significant changes since the start of the pandemic. We surveyed 159 physicians in the U.S. (50 primary care physicians and 109 specialists) to see how things compare to pre-pandemic for them. Workloads initially went down for physicians as patients were hesitant to come into the office and postponed appointments and regular screenings. Both primary physicians and specialists think their workloads are now close to pre-pandemic levels and expected to further increase in the coming year.
Market research plays a fundamental role in helping those involved in the healthcare market answer key questions about their brands. Gaining insights from healthcare practitioners is central to market research. However, engaging physicians to participate in research can be a challenge. While most of the surveyed physicians say they enjoy participating in market research studies, in practice, physicians self-report participating in less than half of the number of studies they are invited to participate in. Real-world experience from our panel says the response rate is even lower. With this in mind, we asked Canadian physicians to help us understand what motivates them to do market research.
Market research is critical at so many stages of product lifecycles as well as one of the tools to evaluate mergers and acquisitions. We know from our own recruiting efforts and experience with our panel providers that response rates to market research invitations tend to be quite low (often under 20%). We surveyed 150 physicians – 50 general practitioners and 90 specialists – to gauge how different factors impact their interest and participation in market research. Interest levels varied by type of study with the highest level of interest for online surveys.