Study also finds that over 55s most likely to have bought drugs online
September 29, 2009
Basking Ridge, NJ (September 29, 2009) — A study released today by Lightspeed Research (www.lightspeedresearch.com), a leading online market research company, shows that consumers are willing to use email and doctors’ websites to communicate with their doctor in the hope of saving time and money.
Chart 1
Would you like to be able to communicate with your Primary Care
Physician / Family Doctor using any of these methods for:
Over half of respondents would be willing to use email communication to do a variety of routine interactions with their doctor such as receive routine test results (59%), request a repeat prescription (53%), confirm an appointment (53%) and update their doctors on an existing condition (51%). Using a doctor’s website for these activities was also popular, but the majority were unwilling to use mobile SMS (text messages) or live online chats for the same activities. (Chart 1)
In spite of this willingness, most respondents said their family doctor didn’t have the option to communication by email, website, text or online chat.
When it comes to emailing their primary care physician specifically about an illness or condition, the key advantages were that it would save time because they didn’t have to go and see the doctor (59%), there was no waiting for an appointment (56%), and being able to avoid other sick people in the waiting room (51%). Women were more likely than men to see each of these as an advantage, however the older generation (55+) were the least likely to see any advantages in emailing their doctor about an illness or condition. (Chart 2)
Chart 2
What do you think are the advantages of emailing your
doctor about an illness / condition?
46% of respondents said they were unwilling to pay for an email consultation, and a further 31% were willing to pay only if it was covered by insurance. As a result, email is unlikely to pose a threat to the standard face-to-face consultation in the near future.
What kind of drugs/medication have you bought online?
Buying drugs online
When it comes to medications, however, many are already embracing the web to buy their drugs. One in five have already bought drugs online, with the older age group (55+) the most likely to have done so at 30% of respondents. Of those already buying drugs online, half said they were buying drugs for which they have a prescription from their physician. Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements were also popular medications to buy online.
As with many other kinds of web shopping, convenience and cost were the main reasons people chose to buy drugs online with 61% choosing the convenience of home delivery and 59% stating the price was lower than their local pharmacy. Many were also attracted by the ability to receive
up to three months’ supply of their medications. Only 5% of those who had bought drugs online had ever experienced a problem. In general, consumers are wary of buying drugs or medications online: 68% worry about the drugs being counterfeit; 49% that the online pharmacy is not legitimate and 46% that the drugs they received would not be FDA approved. Insurance also presents a barrier with 38% saying they worry they would not be reimbursed if they use an online pharmacy.
Commenting on the results, Chris Urinyi, CEO of Lightspeed Research, The Americas, said: “There are clearly a number of benefits that consumers believe they would receive if they could access their doctor by email – particularly convenience and cost-saving. Interestingly, while older respondents were not convinced that email would be a good alternative to a consultation in person with a doctor, they were the most likely to have bought drugs online.”
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Note to Editors:
The survey was carried out August 19-21, 2009. There were 1000 respondents.
About Lightspeed
Through proprietary global panels and research products and services, Lightspeed Research delivers valuable research to help businesses make informed decisions. From recruitment, to activity level, to ongoing profiling, Lightspeed Research’s panels are actively managed to provide
engaged survey respondents and support studies that range in scope and complexity across industry sectors. Deeply profiled specialty panels including automotive, B2B, beverage, family and household, finance, health and wellness, media consumption, mobile phone, beauty and
personal care, sports and hobbies, and travel and leisure, provide quick access to target audiences. As a leader in quality, Lightspeed Research has implemented extensive measures to prevent fraudulent panel registrations and poor survey data.
Lightspeed Research is part of Kantar, the information, insight and consultancy division of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY), one of the world’s leading communications services companies. For more information, please visit www.lightspeedresearch.com.
Press Inquiries
Lynnette McCarthy
Marketing Director, The Americas
Lightspeed Research
Email: lmccarthy@lightspeedresearch.com
Phone: 908.630.0542
