Survey provides an insight into the Indian doctors’ readiness to adapt.
Bureau Report
WASHINGTON, DC: Doctors in India tend to surf the World Wide Web for information and entertainment more than doctors in the United States, says a new study.
The survey, conducted by Via Media Health, reveals that over 90% of Indian doctors interviewed turned to the Web for information, entertainment or transactions. Doctors there were also big subscribers to professional networking or personal networking sites, said The Times of India.
With the digital age set to change the world of medicine, the survey provides an insight into the Indian doctor’s readiness to adapt. The survey does show Indian doctors are hooked on to the Internet-with half of the1,500-plus doctors logging in several times a day .
“Indian doctors’ online behavior shows a marked departure from online behavior patterns of Indians in general ,” said Swadeep Srivastava of Via Media Health . The number of doctors using a popular search engine was almost double the average Indians using it. It was the same with a social networking site.
The reason for Indian doctors’ obsession is easy to find, says the Times report.
Dr. Aniruddha Malpani , director of Health Education Library for People, said, “Doctors have the money to access smart devices . As they are academically oriented , they surf for information . They value information.”
The survey, however, underlines a major difference between Indian doctors and their US counterparts: percentage of American doctors using search engines is far lower than Indian doctors.
“This is perhaps because US doctors have direct access to relevant websites,” said the survey. Most American institutes and medical associations invest in developing independent websites with certified information; India has few original content sites, the report says.
Delhi-based endocrinologist Dr. Anoop Misra agreed . “Doctors in India are equally or more net-savvy as they learn new medical knowledge mostly from the net because there aren’t enough continuing medical education programs,” he said.
But surfing alone doesn’t make for a digital doctor, says the Times. The main test, Malpani said, is for doctors to be publishers in the digital world. “When Indian doctors start offering India-specific content , they will provide long-term solutions in healthcare ,” he said.