Doctors Using More Technology in Practice, Including Mobile

By Gerard Longo, Assistant Editor
A MedPage Today survey has uncovered that the use of technology - including the use of mobile devices - has increased among doctors in the medical profession.

The survey, titled "Today's Physician: Managing Change", found that communication with patients has improved on the whole, primarily thanks to technology. Eighty percent of the 214 doctors surveyed felt that way, with two-thirds of respondents saying that they spend at least three hours per day on a computer and approximately 25 percent revealing that they spend as much time on a mobile device, primarily for educational purposes.

According to Medical Marketing & Media, there was not much of a generational gap when it comes to the percentage of doctors using technology to further their practices. Those over the age of 56 are more likely than their younger counterparts (90% to 86%) to use a computer in everyday practice, while the use of smartphone devices amongst the two demographics was flipped in favor of the younger demographic (80% to 60%). Use of handheld devices was about even: 46 percent of those under 56 said they are likely to use handhelds, while 45 percent of those over 56 said they would.

While there is some difference in the way doctors use technology in their practices, one thing does seem clear: most physicians are looking for ways in which to integrate technology into their practices in the interest of patient communication.

"Today's physicians are heavy users of technology in both their professional and personal lives; there is, however, a gap between how they would like to use technology at work and what they can do with it today," KevinMD.com Founder Dr. Kevin Pho, MD told MedPage Today. "The interest is there, now we need solutions that can help the patient and physician in a simple and seamless way."