Ever-increasing consumer demand for reliable online health information is transforming physicians from Web wallflowers into Internet-savvy communicators. Within the last year,
the number of physicians with Web sites for their practices has doubled to more than 50%, according to a recent study by Medem, an e-health network developed by the American
Medical Association and leading medical societies throughout the country.
Physicians also are changing their tune about how useful the Internet is - over 75% view medical practice Web sites as a valuable tool for patient education, up from 25% a few
years ago.
While physicians are now more inclined than ever to develop a Web presence, the factors that most often hold them back are maintenance issues: finding quality content for their
sites and patient privacy concerns. A handful of companies that provide customized physician Web sites - like Signature Web Medical, GoToMyDoc.com and Medem, which hit the market
this year - are clamoring to fill this void.
But getting physicians to promote their sites to patients is where many of these companies struggle.
More than half of physician practices with Web sites fail to make patients aware of them, according to the Medem survey.
Physician Marketing 101
This can be chalked up to the inherent disdain many physicians have for the need to market themselves, says James Kropp, president of Signature Web Medical, a physician Web
site developer that focuses on the elective healthcare practitioner market.
These conservative marketing attitudes are starting to change as physicians view their Web sites as extensions of their practices, capable of attracting new patients and
maintaining contact with existing ones.
The challenge is in helping physicians adopt more consumer-friendly ways of branding themselves online. "Physicians tend to want their sites to have an ultra-sterile look and
feel similar to a hospital environment. They want to use a lot of medical terminology [to describe procedures] instead of layman's terms," says Kropp.
Technological Bells and Whistles
Although consumer demand for healthcare information is what most drives physicians online, interactive technology is what keeps them excited about maintaining point-and-click
access with patients. Topping the list of advantages is the amount of time that can be saved by communicating with patients online, according to a recent survey by GoToMyDoc.com,
a Web hosting service for more than 140 OB/GYN and pediatric practices. The survey found that 45% of women who use OB/GYN services would phone their physicians less if they were
able to communicate via a credible Web site.
Pre-op videos, featured on GoToMyDoc.com customized sites, have been particularly useful patient education tools and physician time-savers, says Skip Creasey, GoToMyDoc.com's
president. The videos prepare women for what to expect before, during and after a surgical procedure, alleviating some of the fears and concerns by the time they consult with
their doctor.
Opportunities to pre-approve patients and generate retail income also are interactive perks that convince physicians to develop their own Web sites, says Kropp.
E-commerce revenue from retail services can range from $10,000 to $80,000 per practice, according to Kropp.
In spite of the potential interactive technology holds for helping doctors attract new patients and retain existing ones, there's at least one online hurdle that won't go away
any time soon - the discomfort consumers have with online patient records. While physicians are open to electronic medical records, patients reject the concept because of security
and privacy concerns, says Lee Klein, managing editor of MD Net Guide, a trade publication and Web site for physicians.
(GoToMyDoc.com, Skip Creasey, Virginia Quarti, 877/734-1679, ext. 3986; SignatureWeb Medical, James Kropp, 888/517-4187; MDNetGuide, Lee Klein, 917/327-2284)
Physicians Catch Web Fever
Physicians are finally carving out a presence online, according to a recent Medem survey that measured physician interest in the Internet.
- 36% of physicians who do not have a practice Web site plan to get one in the next year.
- Younger and older physicians are equally interested in having an online presence, between 50% to 60% of physicians.
- 70% of physicians have online access from their office.