Growing Number of Physicians Using Smartphones to Access Medical Information

Approximately 30 percent of physicians access medical information using a handheld device or smartphone, according to healthcare market analytics firm SDI.

As part of the survey, the analyst firm contacted 1,200 physicians from 15 specialties in October 2009 and asked about their use of mobile technology and their participation in online physician networking.

The survey found out that the most popular handheld device or smartphone among the physicians is the Apple’s (News - Alert) iPhone, with 31 percent of respondents owning one.

SDI’s report coincides with a report released by MobiHealthNews that said the number of health related applications for smartphones has increased tremendously during the past six months, from just a few hundred to more than five thousand health apps.

Surprisingly, MobiHealthNews found that about 30 percent of all health related smartphone apps were intended for use by professionals and other members of the healthcare industry.

In its report titled “Mobile & Social Media Study: Physicians’ Views of Emerging Technology,” the analyst firm SDI says 95 percent of physicians, who use handheld devices/smartphones, download applications to access medical information.

And the most popular applications they often use are Epocrates, Medscape and Skyscape.

The majority of handheld device/smartphone users also access medical information utilizing desktop and laptop computers. However, the type of medical information physicians seek differs greatly by device, says SDI.

When using a handheld device or smartphone, physicians are most likely to access information about drugs, drug interactions, and prescribing. When using a computer, physicians are more likely to seek articles, abstracts, and continuing medical education-related information.

Handheld device/smartphone users, according to analyst, generally access medical data more frequently than desktop/laptop users. For example, 52 percent of handheld users obtain medical information several times a day, compared to 37 percent of those using a desktop or laptop.