Survey Results

According to our recent research among physician specialists, the younger generation is more concerned with patient empowerment and support than the older generation.

Although almost all specialists believe patients should be more directly involved in their care (96% Younger vs. 92% Older), there are some generational gaps around attitudes toward patient support, treatment decisions and information.

The top two day-to-day challenges are the same for Younger and Older specialists. However, for Younger specialists, their number one challenge, lack of patient support to enable patients to play more of a self-management role (85%), stands out far above their number two, lack of coverage for best treatment options (63%); for Older specialists, these two items are equally challenging (73% and 77%, respectively). Furthermore, Younger specialists are much less satisfied with manufacturer patient support programs (PSPs) than their older counterparts (Younger 65% vs. Older 86%).

According to our recent research among physician specialists, the younger generation is less engaged with and reliant on pharmaceutical companies than the older generation.

When it comes to information sources used in the past six months, online and paper-based medical journal articles are the most common resource for both Younger and Older specialists. However, differences exist in the use of pharmaceutical sales reps (Older 44% vs. Younger 33%) and significantly in the use of pharmaceutical websites (Older 33% vs. Younger 15%).

There are also differences in preferred information sources for new products and services, with Older specialists having a stronger preference for industry-provided information. Half (52%) of Older specialists prefer sales reps, significantly higher than one-quarter (28%) of Younger ones. Similarly, Older specialists are more likely to prefer manufacturer websites (Older 50% vs. Younger 38%).