Characteristics of Physicians Targeted by the Pharmaceutical Industry to Participate in E-detailing

Abstract

Electronic detailing (e-detailing) has been introduced in the last few years by the pharmaceutical industry as a new communication channel through which to promote pharmaceutical products to physicians. E-detailing involves using digital technology, such as Internet, video conferencing, and interactive voice response, by which drug companies target their marketing efforts toward specific physicians with pinpoint accuracy. A mail survey of 671 Iowa physicians was used to gather information about the physician characteristics and practice setting characteristics of those who are usually targeted by pharmaceutical companies to participate in e-detailing. A model is developed and tested to explain firms' targeting strategy for targeting physicians for e-detailing.

KEYWORDS:

• e-detailing
• e-marketing
• interactive detailing
• internet marketing
• medical informatics
• pharmaceutical detailing
• pharmaceutical marketing
• video detailing

Notes

Note. N varies due to item non-response.

^a These were measured by Likert scale: 1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neutral; 4 = agree; and 5 = strongly agree.

^a These were measured by Likert scale: 1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neutral; 4 = agree; and 5 = strongly agree.

^b Family practice, internal medicine, general pediatrics and OB/GYN coded as primary care physicians, and all the other specialties coded as the reference group.

^c The reference group for academic affiliation was the answer “No”.

^d These are the dummy variables of frequency of pharmaceutical sales visits per month. The reference group “11 or more”.

^e “Urban and suburban” was recoded together as the reference group.

^f These are the dummy variables of practice setting size. The reference group was “large practice (11 and more)”.

^g These are the dummy variables of volume of prescription per week. The reference group was “More than 100”.

^h These are the dummy variables of practice setting type. The reference group was “Hospital based practice”.

£: Hosmer and Lemeshow test, Chi square: 10.64, df = 8, sig: 0.223.

∗Significant at p ≤ .05. ∗∗Significant at p ≤ .01. n = 618, Nagellkerke R² = 0.26.