Monday, January
8, 2001
Improving Doctor-Patient Relations on the Internet
Humphrey Taylor, Chairman of the Harris Poll, and Bob Leitman,
Group President of Healthcare, Public Policy and Education
research for Harris Interactive, have indicated in their
first issue of Harris Interactive Healthcare News that
there are many ways in which the Internet could be used
to improve the doctor-patient relationship.
While online consumers anticipate that this
will happen, our research still shows that most physicians
'just don't
get it.'
These conclusions are based on a recent Harris
Interactive study conducted for ARiA Marketing and iMcKesson.
The research was conducted in two phases,
the first of which was conducted online in September with
1,000 healthcare
consumers, aged 18 and over. The second phase was an online
focus group of patients and physicians.
Major findings of
the research include the following:
-Online healthcare consumers have had many frustrating
experiences before, during or after visits to their physicians.
The most widely remembered are: "forgetting to ask
all my questions when I'm with my doctor" (60%), "having
to see my doctor in person to ask questions that he or
she could answer by telephone or e-mail" (41%), "getting
through to someone who could answer my questions" (35%), "providing
the same information over and over again each time I go
to the doctor's office" (35%), "finding a new
doctor" (30%), "not having enough time with my
doctor" (29").
-However, a majority of the online population (57%) think
it is somewhat likely that the Internet will help reduce
or eliminate frustrations such as those associated with
visits to their doctors.
Big majorities of the online population would
like to receive e-mail reminders for preventive care (81%),
follow-up
e-mails after visits to doctors (83%) and for their doctors
to be able to access and monitor their lab tests online
(84%).
One of the results of managed care is that
the amount of time patients spend with their doctors on
each visit
has been declining with the total length of visits
shrinking from about 25 minutes to about 19 minutes. Of
this time
only two or three minutes is actually spent in face-to-face
conversation between the doctor and the patient. Given
the pressure on physicians to increase their productivity
by seeing more patients and spending less time with
each patient, it is no surprise that many patients feel
the
way they do.
In one of the focus groups, a patient said, "I'd
prefer to e-mail my doctor with a question and get an e-mail
back from him, rather than phoning and talking to the receptionist
who leaves a message for his nurse, who calls me back and
then asks the doctor, then calls me back with his response,
and if I have a [follow-up] question, she has to call back
yet again."
There is, however, a lot of physician resistance
to the use of the Internet. The reasons for resistance
include
many rational concerns such as reimbursement, medical
records privacy and possible malpractice suits. At
the same time, many physicians are concerned that it will
lead to the impersonalization of care.
In the focus group, one physician said, "I
think it would be a shame to manage patients' healthcare
on the
Internet and to lose the human interaction and contact.
How can you build trust in your physician over a computer?
I think one of the basic things we learned was human touch
and caring. I find it difficult to believe that that, or
some of that, won't be lost over the Internet."
This
research leaves no doubt that the Internet could be used
to greatly increase and improve communication between
doctors and patients, and it strongly suggests that
this would strengthen rather than weaken the doctor-patient
relationship. However, while online communication will
surely increase rapidly over the next few years, it
will
take time and experience for patients and physicians
to get used to communicating online.
European Online Travel Market Will Reach $10.9 Billion
in 2002
The European online travel market is gaining prominence
as the economic signs for this e-commerce segment continue
to grow stronger.
Today, PhoCusWright, Inc., the leading independent Internet
travel intelligence company, released The European Online
Travel Marketplace, 2000 - 2002. This exclusive, in-depth
report reveals that the European online travel market will
soar from US$2.9 billion in 2000 to US$10.9 billion in
2002 - nearly a 300% two-year gain.
The findings, which cover most Western European nations
with measurable e-commerce activity and potential, will
help both American and European companies understand the
growing opportunities in the European travel market as
more consumers rely on the Internet to book their travel.
Factors contributing to this growth spurt were continuing
strides in Internet and wireless usage; the breakdown of
e-commerce barriers such as bill payment, security and
privacy concerns; improved telecommunications; and the
influx of new and improved online travel services. The
emergence of the Internet and online commerce in Europe
also coincides with the rise of the European Union (EU),
creating one unified economy and, eventually, one common
currency - the euro.
"Increasingly, Europeans are able to access the Internet
using flat-rate payment plans instead of having to pay
for Internet access by the minute, which had been a major
constraint," said Kate Rice, director of information
services at PhoCusWright, Inc., and author of the report. "At
the same time, several online players have begun to build
significant market share - raising public awareness of
travel e-commerce in the process. The greatest potential
of the Internet is in its global capabilities and nowhere
is that more true than in online travel."
Airline Web sites and tour operators controlled 28% and
27%, respectively, of the European online travel market
in 2000. Online travel agencies had a 26% market share;
railways, 9%; hotels, 7%; and car rental companies, 3%.
Other key findings include:
- Agency Versus Supplier Web Sites - Unlike in the U.S.,
supplier Web sites dominate the online travel market in
Europe. Airlines, tour operators, hotels, railways and
car rental companies represent 74% of the European online
travel market in 2000, while online agencies' share is
26%.
- Online Agencies Fight for Market Share - The acquisition
of Degriftour by lastminute.com makes lastminute.com the
second largest online travel agency in Europe, with estimated
combined gross bookings of $116 million. Ebookers.com is
number one, with $150 million in projected gross bookings.
Expedia.co.uk ranks third.
- Airline Web Sites Edge Out Online Agencies - For Now
- Airline Web site sales will total $810 million in 2000,
while $382 million of airline tickets will be sold through
online travel agencies. The two airlines with the largest
online bookings - easyJet and Ryanair - book 100% of their
Internet sales on their own Web sites. Each sells at least
half of all tickets online.
The European Online Travel Marketplace, 2000
- 2002 evaluated the market by interviewing e-commerce
executives at nearly
50 European-based airlines, hotels, tour operators, rail
companies, car rental companies, ferry lines and travel
technology companies. Internet revenues are based on gross
bookings, namely the total transaction value of the products
booked.
All currency figures are in U.S. dollars.
News Tidbits (appears every day on the front page)
- The New York Times is now cutting jobs from its Internet
division, joining dozens of other companies letting go
of employees in Internet related divisions. There will
be 69 jobs lost. The news follows Friday announcement
that FOX is firing 200 employees and consolidating its
online operations.
