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In mid and late 2010, Comscore and Impact Rx released data from an ongoing study focusing on how physicians use digital and social media channels.  In contrast to the majority of research examining physicians' online behavior, Comscore and Impact Rx tracked their Web media consumption habits directly.  According to Comscore and Impact Rx, during Q1 2010: 

• 81% of physicians went to "healthcare provider content destinations" such as Medscape.com
• 75% visited general health sites such as WebMD and About.com
• 40% visited social media sites such as Sermo.com

While physicians visited a variety of sites during Q1 2010, they were more likely to engage (i.e., spend more time on) content rather than social media sites:

• Healthcare provider sites such as Medscape captured the majority of physicians' online attention (about half of their online time was spent on these types of Web properties)
• In contrast, physicians only spent 6% of their online time on social media sites.

See below for a table illustrating physicians' online behaviors during Q1 2010.

Physician Time on Content vs. Social Media Sites Q1 2010 (click to enlarge)

Physician Time on Social Media Sites Surges in Q2 2010

During Q2 2010, ImpactRx released updated data on how physicians are using digital and social media.  The firm found that physicians are spending more time on social media sites and less on healthcare provider properties such as Medscape. (See pie chart  released by ImpactRx below.)

Impact Rx: Physician Time on Social Media Sites Sharply Increased During Q2 2010
(click to enlarge)