User Assessment of Personal Digital Assistants Used in Pharmaceutical Detailing: System Features, Usefulness and Ease of Use

Abstract

This study explores the perceptions of pharmaceutical sales representatives toward the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in pharmaceutical detailing. It uses data from a survey of sales representatives at a large pharmaceutical company that adopted a PDA system for use in pharmaceutical detailing. The study first identifies the specific PDA features that users perceive as being important in performing pharmaceutical detailing tasks. Then, built on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the study examines the important PDA features as antecedents to the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the system. The results suggest some ways to improve specific system features, which in turn enhance PU and PEOU and through them, system usage. The findings would be useful to those who use or plan to use PDAs for pharmaceutical detailing or other similar mobile tasks.

• personal digital assistants
• salesforce automation systems
• technology acceptance model
• pharmaceutical detailing