Interesting bit of news. 300% increase in physicians use is just the start of the growth. Potential is determined by the offerings of such as AVAL/AHS. I think it's a 'build it and they will come' prospect.
Claudia
Physician Use of Internet Explodes; Ongoing Healtheon Study
Reveals Increasing Interest in Online Services for Healthcare
Professionals
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 19, 1999--Recent findings from an ongoing study by Healtheon
Corporation show a 300 percent increase in regular Internet usage by physicians over the past two years.
Through an ongoing research program, the Healtheon Internet Survey of Medicine(TM) (ISM(TM)), researchers
study physicians' usage, attitudes, needs and expectations of technology, particularly the Internet.
Healtheon ISM data culled over the past 12 months reveals a dramatic increase in the numbers of physicians using the
Internet, and a growing interest in more complex online access to clinical and patient information. While obstacles to
computer use remain with 'lack of time' cited as the largest hurdle, more than 25 percent of the physicians noted 'the
lack of meaningful network content and services' as the primary reason they did not use the computer more regularly.
This is the first time this category has emerged, according to Healtheon researchers.
These findings and other research data on physicians' use of the Internet and technology in the management of
healthcare information, collected over three years from more than 10,000 physicians, will be presented at an upcoming
conference, Physicians on the Internet, May 5-7, in San Francisco. Healtheon is hosting the conference in conjunction
with Broadcast.com, AT&T, and other leading technology companies. The conference will feature presentations by the
American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE), American Medical Association (AMA), the
Massachusetts Medical Society (publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine), and others.
"Our research, conducted in collaboration with some of the nation's leading integrated healthcare delivery networks
and physician organizations, shows that a growing number of physicians are increasingly prepared to rely on the
Internet as a primary means of obtaining clinical and medically related data and information," said Mike Long, CEO of
Healtheon. "Moreover, our survey results indicate that physicians also recognize the important role that online linkages
can play in helping their office conduct clinical and administrative transactions much more efficiently." Analysis of the
Healtheon ISM data also reveals the following trends:
-- Physicians' communication with patients via email is rising
dramatically
-- Email, as well as personal services, educational purposes,
medical journal access, and communication with specialty medical
societies remain the primary use of the Internet by physicians
-- There is a growing trend among physicians to view computers
primarily as vehicles to access networks such as the Internet
-- Inpatient physicians tend to be more focused on receiving
clinical content sourced from the hospital; outpatient physicians
rank access to payers, outpatient labs, and continuing medical
education as valuable networked capabilities
About Healtheon Corporation
Healtheon is the leader in applying advanced Internet technology to enable healthcare providers and consumers to
interact with each other and the institutions of healthcare -- to securely communicate, exchange information and
perform complex transactions. Healtheon's services simplify the business and clinical processes of healthcare, provide
more timely access to information, provide faster and more convenient service, and lead to higher quality, more
affordable care. Healtheon can be reached at 888/486-9498 or healtheon.com. |
