To help us understand a little about how doctors source information online, perhaps we should think about how they obtain information and where from – by drawing a straight parallel with consumer shopping habits.
First off, we don’t all shop in the same store, otherwise there’d be only one, and that would be boring! We also don’t shop in the same size store; some prefer mega-markets and malls where you can buy everything from a packet of biscuits to a new TV, some prefer a corner or specialist shop where you know you’ll get very specialised advice and personal service.
EPG’s study examining how physicians access content online indicates that a doctors online ‘information’ shopping habits aren’t that different to our consumer ones.