Medimix International Updates Report on Internet Usage by Latin American Physicians
Medimix International, a specialist in global healthcare market research, recently conducted a follow-up to its 2007 study on internet usage by physicians in ten Latin American countries. This study (March 2009), conducted through telephone interviews with almost 1,973 physicians in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, was a more detailed look at questions concerning usage patterns by country and by medical specialties.
Miami, FL, September 01, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The use of the internet in Latin America is growing at a rate unexpected by many media observers, as “digital fever “ has swept the globe. Although growth of fixed-lines has stalled, mobile subscribers have overtaken their fixed-line counterparts in almost every country except Cuba, and despite problems with infrastructure and the high-cost of connection, broadband in Latin America grew at an annual rate of around 40% in 2007. However, broadband penetration at the end of 2008 was only 3.4% overall, considerably below the US and European average of 5.9%. Statistics gathered specifically among physicians present a different story, since physicians represent a more affluent portion of society, and on an average 23% of them are connected to the internet ”all the time.”
Medimix International, a specialist in global healthcare market research, recently conducted a follow-up to its 2007 study, which had examined internet usage by physicians in ten Latin American countries. The recent 2009 study was conducted through telephone interviews with 1,973 physicians in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, and was a more detailed look at questions concerning usage patterns by country and by medical specialties, how often they accessed the internet, (by day, week, and month), and whether they liked participating in Web-based online surveys.
As in 2007, most physicians throughout Latin America connect to the internet from their home, not from their office or other public places, and usually choose to connect for professional reasons: to search for information about diseases, current therapies and drugs, and for sites to recommend to their patients. “This study proves that physicians in Latin America are now using the internet as a tool to gather and share medical information that is relevant to their clinical practice in a pattern similar to their peers around the world,” commented Dr. Tessa Schoor, Medical Director for Medimix International.
A surge has been observed in the frequency of connection to the internet, with a surprisingly high percentage of 80% of physicians in all countries reporting that they access internet at least once a day, compared to only 33% in 2007. Both Brazil (85%) and Venezuela (80%) ranked the highest in daily usage, but the difference with the lowest ranking country is narrow (Colombia 74%) Paradoxically, among the doctors who access the internet “all the time”, the numbers range from a high of 27% in Colombia to a low in Venezuela of 17%.
When it comes to receptivity to taking online surveys, cultural differences appear. When asked if they “like to participate” in Web-based surveys, Colombia and Venezuela were almost tied with 41% and 42% respectively, and Puerto Rico came last with 16% On the negative side, Argentina showed the highest resistance to participating in online surveys, with 28% stating that “they did not like to participate at all”, and a 51% combined either replied “not really” or “not at all”.
Martha Dias, Medimix Operations Director, Latin America commented on the relevance of these findings to pharma research and marketing, noting, “There is a true cultural transformation in process regarding e-marketing in the Lifesciences Industry, and we researchers have to be aligned or even in the forefront of these transformations.”
To obtain more information on this study and conducting surveys in Latin American markets (or any market) please contact Kathryn McAdam at communications@medimix.net
About Medimix International
Medimix International is a dynamic provider of advanced marketing research solutions for the healthcare industry worldwide. Medimix’s proprietary panel provides direct access to over 500,000 physicians and healthcare professionals from around the world, making it one of the largest panels in the industry.
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Medimix International, a specialist in global healthcare market research, recently conducted a follow-up to its 2007 study, which had examined internet usage by physicians in ten Latin American countries. The recent 2009 study was conducted through telephone interviews with 1,973 physicians in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, and was a more detailed look at questions concerning usage patterns by country and by medical specialties, how often they accessed the internet, (by day, week, and month), and whether they liked participating in Web-based online surveys.
As in 2007, most physicians throughout Latin America connect to the internet from their home, not from their office or other public places, and usually choose to connect for professional reasons: to search for information about diseases, current therapies and drugs, and for sites to recommend to their patients. “This study proves that physicians in Latin America are now using the internet as a tool to gather and share medical information that is relevant to their clinical practice in a pattern similar to their peers around the world,” commented Dr. Tessa Schoor, Medical Director for Medimix International.
A surge has been observed in the frequency of connection to the internet, with a surprisingly high percentage of 80% of physicians in all countries reporting that they access internet at least once a day, compared to only 33% in 2007. Both Brazil (85%) and Venezuela (80%) ranked the highest in daily usage, but the difference with the lowest ranking country is narrow (Colombia 74%) Paradoxically, among the doctors who access the internet “all the time”, the numbers range from a high of 27% in Colombia to a low in Venezuela of 17%.
When it comes to receptivity to taking online surveys, cultural differences appear. When asked if they “like to participate” in Web-based surveys, Colombia and Venezuela were almost tied with 41% and 42% respectively, and Puerto Rico came last with 16% On the negative side, Argentina showed the highest resistance to participating in online surveys, with 28% stating that “they did not like to participate at all”, and a 51% combined either replied “not really” or “not at all”.
Martha Dias, Medimix Operations Director, Latin America commented on the relevance of these findings to pharma research and marketing, noting, “There is a true cultural transformation in process regarding e-marketing in the Lifesciences Industry, and we researchers have to be aligned or even in the forefront of these transformations.”
To obtain more information on this study and conducting surveys in Latin American markets (or any market) please contact Kathryn McAdam at communications@medimix.net
About Medimix International
Medimix International is a dynamic provider of advanced marketing research solutions for the healthcare industry worldwide. Medimix’s proprietary panel provides direct access to over 500,000 physicians and healthcare professionals from around the world, making it one of the largest panels in the industry.
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Medimix International
Kathryn McAdam
305-573-5233
www.medimix.net
Kathryn McAdam
305-573-5233
www.medimix.net
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