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Doctors and the Web 2.0?

July 24, 2007

Google Health Advertising Blog has posted Doctors and the Web 2.0 talking about White Paper “Physicians and Web 2.0” done by Manhattan Research:

Manhattan Research is a healthcare market research and services firm, laying the foundation for strategic planning for global pharmaceutical, biotech, device and diagnostic, and life sciences companies.

Manhattan Research guides clients in understanding market forces, trends, and impacts of physician and consumer use of information technology, including next generation digital media such as social networking, blogs, podcasts, and Web 2.0.

I refuse to speculate on the commercial propose of both sources. I just notice that the results contrast with what we have found in Catalonia (Spain). Our surveys to physicians, nurses, pharmacist, Internet users and also a 1300 web content analysis show Health and the Internet is still Web 1.0.

I suppose that Catalonia Health System, as well as many systems in Europe, are less market oriented than American Health System. That fact could influence on a slower adoption of the Web 2.0 by physicians because on whether they do not appropriate all the benefits of those technologies or they do not have many incentives to innovate using those technologies.