Physicians Prefer Pharma Reps to Deliver Information via iPad

April 14, 2011

Intouch Solutions Reveals Survey Data at Industry Conference

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (April 14, 2011) — Intouch Solutions® Inc., a digital marketing agency servicing the pharmaceutical industry, today released research detailing the preferences of physicians who receive visits from pharmaceutical sales representatives and how they prefer product information (called a “detail”) to be delivered. The survey results were announced at the CBI Bio/Pharmaceutical Forum on Specialty Sales Models in San Diego. Among surveyed physicians:

• More than one third had received an iPad® detail from a pharma sales representative
• Of those that had received an iPad detail, 68% reported being extremely satisfied or very  satisfied with the format

“In an era of increasingly difficult access to physicians, we believe tools such as the iPad and similar devices will help open new lines of communication across health care stakeholders,” said Faruk Capan, Intouch Solutions CEO. 

Younger Physicians Keen on Digital Delivery

The research also explored disparities between older and younger physicians. Overall, digital detailing—information delivered in person by a representative via digital device such as a smartphone, iPad, or tablet—was still the preference. In fact, 8 in 10 physicians rated digital detailing as the same or better than previous methods such as paper-based visual aids. But this preference was higher by a wide margin among younger physicians: Significantly more physicians who had been in practice 20 years or less believed digital detailing was better than previous methods such as paper-based visual aids. The opposite was true for physicians in practice more than 20 years who were more comfortable with paper-based details.

Survey Methodology

The survey was fielded online by The Harrison Group in March 2011 among 100 U.S. physicians. All physicians surveyed had an active clinical practice and were a mix of general practitioners and specialists. In addition, physicians had received some sort of in-person detailing by a pharmaceutical representative in the last six months, and half of the sample (50 physicians) received in-person detailing via iPad. The total sample reported was weighted to the true proportion of iPad presentations. Physicians were asked a battery of questions about their in-person detailing experience and satisfaction with different tools used.  

“We’re working with many of our pharma clients now to help them adapt to these new devices at a rapid rate, and we expect the trend to continue,” said David Windhausen, Intouch Solutions senior vice president, who delivered select results during his conference presentation this morning.

About Intouch Solutions

Founded in 1999, Intouch Solutions Inc. is a privately held marketing agency headquartered in the Kansas City area with offices in Chicago and New York. Specializing in solutions for the pharmaceutical and health care industries, Intouch is redefining what marketing means to these industries. Contact Intouch at getintouch@intouchsol.com or visit them on the Web at www.intouchsol.com.