Internet Use by Physicians Is Increasing, But Numbers Continue to Come Up Short
By ANN CARRNS
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
May 10, 2001
Tech Center
A survey by the American Medical Association indicates that while more doctors are using the Internet for research and personal communications, physicians who use it to interact with patients and administer medical records remain in the minority.
The results suggest companies working to switch doctors from cumbersome paper-based systems to electronic ones -- such as WebMd Corp., Medicalogic/Medscape Inc. and Medem Inc., which is backed by the AMA and other medical organizations -- have significant work ahead to promote the adoption of online systems by doctors.
Only 17% of doctors said they use the Web for obtaining or transferring medical records, and only 8% use it for health-insurance claims processing, the survey found. Moreover, among physicians who don't have a Web site, 70% said they "never" intend to develop one.
Mark Leavitt, chairman of Medicalogic/Medscape, which markets electronic medical records, said he found the numbers heartening. "Seventeen percent is an awesome number," he said. "I don't find the numbers discouraging in the least."
Donald Palmisano, a surgeon and AMA trustee, said he is confident more physicians will adopt the Internet for professional use in coming years, as the security of online systems become more widely understood and federal privacy regulations are clarified.
He said the percentage of doctors resisting Web sites will decrease as more doctors become aware of the Web's benefits. Dr. Leavitt said one explanation for the high number of doctors who don't want individual Web sites is that they maintain an online presence through a group practice or hospital Web site.
The survey did show clear signs of increased Web usage by physicians in several areas. Among doctors who use the Web but don't have professional Web sites, 52% said they saw no need for one. But that is less than in 1997, when 61% said they saw no need for a Web site.
The survey, conducted during three months last year, included 1,001 practicing physicians. It excluded doctors over 70 years old, those employed by the federal government and those in residency training.
According to the survey, 70% of doctors said they were Web users, up from just 20% in 1997. Of those who use the Internet, 96% said they send nonpatient-related e-mail, up from 91% three years earlier.
Only a quarter of online physicians use e-mail to communicate with their patients. This was the first AMA survey which asked about e-mail with patients. The number of doctors who said they have Web sites surged between 1997 and 1999, but the proportion remained flat in 2000, at about 26%. Doctors cited providing patient-education information and promoting their practices as the top reasons for having a Web site. Doctors said the Internet was most useful for obtaining medical information (86%) and collecting travel information (85%).
Write to Ann Carrns at ann.carrns@wsj.com |
