More physicians are carrying a smartphone today than four years ago, according to a recent report from Spyglass Consulting Group, a marketing firm.
In a survey involving 100 in-depth interviews with doctors working in acute care and ambulatory environments across the country, 94 percent of individuals interviewed used smartphones compared to 59 percent in 2006. Despite the study's relatively small sample size, the findings echo a May study involving 2,000 participants by Manhattan Research that found 72 percent of U.S. physicians use smartphones compared to 20 percent for the general population.
Here are a few other notable findings from the Spyglass Consulting Group report (.pdf):
- 78 percent of physicians interviewed were experiencing difficulties accessing and communicating with colleagues in a timely manner.
- 40 percent of physicians interviewed using smartphones had adopted the Apple iPhone followed by 25 percent who had adopted the RIM Blackberry.
- 56 percent of physicians interviewed were concerned about lack of standardized processes for transitioning care between colleagues.
