Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13613

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: thesis

Alkhateeb , Fma .
Influences on physicians' adoption of e-detailing
2008

Abstract:

Electronic detailing (e-detailing) has been introduced in the last few years by the pharmaceutical industry as a new communication channel through which to promote pharmaceutical products to physicians. E-detailing means using digital technology: internet, video conferencing and interactive voice response. There are two types of e-detailing: interactive (virtual) and video. Currently, little is known about what factors influence physicians’ adoption of e-detailing. Rogers’ work on the adoption of innovation could be useful to study physicians’ adoption of e-detailing. Objectives. To test a modified model of adoption of innovation to help explain physicians’ adoption of e-detailing and to describe physicians using e-detailing (interactive and video). Methods. A mail survey of a random sample of 2000 physicians practicing in Iowa was sent. The sample was selected from the database of the licensed physicians in Iowa maintained by the Office of Statewide Clinical Education Program. Multiple regression analyses (binomial logistic regression) was used to test three models of influences on physician adoption of e-detailing: one for physician adoption of virtual detailing and one for video detailing and another one combined for using either one of both types of e-detailing. The independent variables included relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, peer influence, attitudes toward informational usefulness, years in practice, presence of restrictive access to traditional detailing, type of specialty, academic affiliation, type of practice setting, and control variables. Results. A total of 671 responses were received giving a response rate of 34.7%. A total of 141 physicians (21.0%) reported using of e-detailing. The overall adoption model for using either type of e-detailing was found to be significant. Perceived relative advantage, peer influence, attitudes, type of specialty, presence of restrictive access and years of practice had significant influences on physician adoption of e-detailing. Moreover, the results for each type of e-detailing were similar, except that the rural practice setting variable had a significant positive influence on adoption of video e-detailing. Conclusion. The modified model of adoption of innovation is useful to explain physicians’ adoption of e-detailing.

Keywords:
Electronic detailing, pharmaceutical industry, physicians, internet technologies

Notes:

Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering. Vol 68(9-B), 2008, pp. 5883