About 83% of physicians own at least one mobile device and about one in four doctors are "super mobile" users who leverage both smartphones and tablet computers in their medical practices, according to a survey by online physician community QuantiaMD, Health Data Management reports.
Researchers conducted the online survey of about 3,800 physicians in early May (Goedert, Health Data Management, 6/16).
'Super Mobile' Physicians
According to the survey, super mobile physicians who have both smartphones and tablet computers use their devices more often than physicians who own only one device.
For example, 50% of super mobile physicians use their devices for treatment research, while 39% of physicians who own only a smartphone use their device for such research. Of the super mobile users, the survey found that:
- 73% use their devices to research new drugs;
- 50% use them for clinical research; and
- 44% use them to diagnose patients.
Additional Findings
Of the physicians who do not own a mobile device, 44% said they plan to purchase one this year (Jackson, FierceMobileHealthcare, 6/16).
QuantiaMD also found that older physicians are adopting tablet technology at about the same rate as younger physicians.
Although older physicians are less likely to adopt mobile technology in general, 19% of physicians who have been practicing for more than 30 years currently use tablet devices, compared with 20% of physicians who have been practicing for 10 years or less (QuantiaMD report, 6/15).