对于中国的数字化营销从业者而言，什么样的数字化手段才能抓住医生？我们看到，中国临床医生的接诊量多，工作时间长，这都会制约医生在工作时间内上网。而智能手机在医生群体中普及率非常高，医生更容易通过手机在工作中随时随地上网。因此，智能手机就成为与医生接触的重要触点。
根据Taking the Pulse™ China的研究报告显示，2013年智能手机在中国医生中将被更加广泛使用，有近3/4的医生拥有或正在使用智能手机为临床提供帮助，这个数字已经非常接近美国医生的使用情况。尽管无论是美国还是中国，台式机和笔记本电脑仍是医生主要的上网设备，但据曼哈顿研究的分析显示，相较于其他国家，智能手机对中国医生的影响更大。2/3的中国医生认同智能手机是“在工作时间内帮助获得专业信息的重要媒介。”有2/5的医生会在工作时随身携带并频繁使用智能手机。而另一半也会间隔地使用智能手机。
中国的医生利用智能手机花更多的时间参与更多类别的专业活动，这无疑让其成为市场从业者必须考虑的工具。分析显示，美国的医生使用智能手机主要用于快速浏览专业信息，而中国的医生会花更长的时间面对这块小小的屏幕。我们听到大多数的中国医生都声称他们通过智能手机参与学术活动至少超过一分钟。相比之下，几乎所有的美国医生都说不超过一分钟。因此相比于美国医生，中国医生会更多的利用手机浏览新闻，参考临床指南或是阅读文献摘要。
智能手机对中国医生的重要性显而易见，而我们同时也更想知道平板电脑会在以后对中国医生产生何种影响。在美国这个平板电脑市场更加成熟的国度，医生也更倾向于用平板电脑来休闲放松，例如阅读和观看在线视频。但平板电脑并没有如之前预期的那样很好的渗透到医生的日常工作，帮助即时的诊断治疗。
那么中国医生的平板电脑使用情况与美国类似吗？在美国有72%的医生拥有平板电脑，我们可以预计中国医生的平板电脑拥有率也会向着这个数据持续上升。另一方面，美国和中国医生对智能手机的不同使用习惯可能也在预示着这两个群体在平板电脑的使用差异。我们猜测，中国的医生会更有可能的将这类产品应用到日常工作中，平板电脑也将被更加广泛的接受而进入中国医生的生活。
智能手机在中国医生数字化生活中所扮演的角色毋庸置疑，我们有理由期待平板电脑在未来几年必将成为一块不可忽视的“屏幕”。
作者：James Avallone, 医生研究总监； Matt Arnold, 首席分析师
Smartphones are Key for Reaching China Physicians
For marketers in China, consistently reaching physicians through digital channels can be a challenge. Physicians in China have very high patient loads, work long hours and do not always have access to the Internet throughout the workday. However, China physicians’ strong use of smartphones is a distinguishing factor that marketers must consider when planning digital initiatives, as this device is a critical digital access point for physicians throughout the course of the workday.
Physician adoption of smartphones in China is widespread in 2013, with nearly three-quarters of physicians owning or using a smartphone for professional purposes, according to Taking the Pulse™ China 2013. That is only slightly below U.S. physician adoption numbers. While desktops and laptops remain the primary Internet access point for physicians in both countries, smartphones play a larger role in the digital profile of China physicians than in other countries Manhattan Research analyzes. Two-thirds of physicians in China agree that their smartphone is a “critical professional information resource for them throughout the workday.”Two in five carry their smartphone around with them during the workday, using it constantly. Another half carries their smartphone around and uses it occasionally.
China physicians use their smartphones for a wider range of professional activities and spend more time per session on them, further making this a must-target device for marketers. Analysis shows that while in the U.S. physicians use smartphones primarily for quick access to professional information, physicians in China perform more lengthy activities on this device. In fact, the majority of physicians in China reported that most professional activities they perform on their smartphone take more than a minute. By contrast, nearly all U.S. physicians say their smartphone activities take less than a minute. China physicians are far more likely to read news, use clinical references, or read abstracts from their smartphone than their U.S. counterparts.
While the importance of smartphones as a professional screen for physicians in China is evident, many are wondering what impact the tablet will have on China physicians in 2013 and beyond. In the U.S. market—where the physician profile for tablets is more mature— physicians are more inclined to use tablets for “lean back” activities such as reading and watching videos online.
However, this device has not had the impact during the workday and at the point-of-care many predicted.
So will China physicians’ use of tablets mimic that of the U.S.? We will likely see a continued rise in adoption among China physicians similar to what we see in the U.S., where 72% of U.S. physicians own a tablet. However, the differences in smartphone use between U.S. and China physicians suggest a different profile is likely for tablet use. In particular, physicians in China are more likely to incorporate this device into workday practices than are physicians in the U.S., and the tabletwill have higher adoption across a larger range of activities. However, if the critical role smartphones are playing in the digital profile of China physicians is any indicator, tablets will be a vital screen in the upcoming years.
By James Avallone, Director of Physician Research and Matt Arnold, Principal Analyst
延伸阅读
http://ihealth.dxy.cn/article/59708