Facebook for Physicians? Online Physician Communities Gain Traction
Over Half of Physicians Express Interest in Using Online Physician Communities


 NEW YORK, NY – June 3, 2008 – The buzz around online physician communities has been increasing over the past year. More than half of physicians express interest in using online physician communities as a resource to discuss patient care, solicit feedback, and offer valuable insight to fellow physicians, according to Taking the Pulse® v8.0 the latest physician market research released by pharmaceutical market research company Manhattan Research.

"With nearly all physicians using the Internet today, it was just a matter of time before online physician communities came to the medical community," says Mark Bard, president of Manhattan Research. "The phenomenon of building collective opinions via the Internet allows for the generation of answers to medical problems at a rate dramatically quicker than traditional methods. We expect these online physician communities to be a driving force for innovation and collaboration in the coming years."

Examples of such online physician communities include the website Sermo, as well as WebMD's recently launched Medscape Physician Connect.


About Taking the Pulse® v8.0
Taking the Pulse® v8.0 was conducted via telephone and online survey methodology in Q1 2008 with a nationally representative sample of 1,832 practicing U.S. physicians.

In addition to providing physician market trends, clients can further segment Taking the Pulse® v8.0 to derive statistically relevant insight across the following specialties: Allergists, Cardiologists, Dermatologists, Electro Physiologists, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinologists, Gastroenterologists, Surgeons, Hematology Oncologists, Infectious Disease Specialists, Medical Oncologists, Nephrologists, Neurologists, Obstetrics/Gynecologists (OB/GYNs), Ophthalmologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, Pediatricians, Primary Care Physicians (General Practice, Family Practice and Internal Medicine), Psychiatrists, Pulmonologists, Radiologists, Rheumatologists and Urologists.

Other Manhattan Research Products and Services
Manhattan Research conducts annual research studies among physicians and consumers, including Taking the Pulse® Europe, Cybercitizen® Health, Cybercitizen® Health Europe, ePharma Consumer® and ePharma Physician®. Each study serves a unique purpose and focuses on different aspects of information technology adoption. Broad consumer and physician research is complemented by targeted analysis among more than 80 consumer therapeutic segments and 25 physician specialist segments.

Manhattan Research is a leading market research and advisory firm for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. For more information, visit www.manhattanresearch.com or email sales@manhattanresearch.com.

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