Last month, I was interviewed by Med Ad News about a new study showing that key opinion leaders are far more
digitally savvy.
Here are some highlights of the article:
The Kantar Media Sources & Interactions Study, March
2013 – Medical/Surgical Edition included key facts that pharma marketers and
healthcare agencies need to know about key opinion leaders in order to refine
digital marketing and advertising plans.
Key opinion leaders are more likely to use smartphones and
tablets for professional purposes than all doctors surveyed. About 84 percent
use their mobiles for work reasons. In addition, 57 percent reported that they
use a tablet for personal and professional purposes. When using their
smartphones, key opinion leaders are more likely to use medical apps compared
with all physicians. About 61 percent use diagnostic tool/clinical reference
mobile apps and 49 percent use drug and coding reference apps.
Kantar Media collected the data in two waves for the study,
which allows them to provide more up-to-date monitoring of rapidly changing
media areas, including mobile, according to a company spokesperson. Although
the core report continues to show data based on both the fall and spring data
collection waves, the supplemental data are based on the spring wave only.
“The survey results help document what we’ve been
experiencing over time, that leading physicians have higher utilization of
smartphone apps, digital media, social networking, and email communications
with patients,” says Mark Stinson, SVP, brand strategy, GSW.
According to the study, more than half of key opinion
leaders use the Internet for professional purposes more than four times per
day. On average, they use the Internet almost 14 times per week for work. About
55 percent of key opinion leaders say that their time spent on the Internet per
use is between 1-15 minutes, while 20 percent say a session typically lasts
between 16 and 30 minutes.
Regarding the insights derived from an agency perspective,
Stinson tells Med Ad News, “I think the insight is further confirmation that
the traditional term of KOLs describing key ‘opinion’ leaders is becoming
obsolete. In the past, agencies might have viewed them as ivory tower, academic
sources of medical thoughts. What the Kantar study underscores – and what we’ve
found with brand experiences – is that a more active and desirable group of
clinical leaders has emerged with more than just opinions. These new key
practice influencers are using technology and digital media more in direct
patient care, protocol development, clinical trial design, treatment guideline
creation, and institutional practice procedures. With the application of
digital media as described by the Kantar results, we can identify the shift
from key opinion leaders to key practice influencers (KPIs), with far-reaching
scope of expertise and decision-making effect.”
When it comes to the frequency of smartphone and medical app
usage, Stinson says that GSW has seen other data to confirm that prescribing
information is the most searched. “However, so many more innovative
applications are quickly being integrated into practices,” he told Med Ad News.
“What the Kantar survey suggests is that these influential physicians are
poised for expanded smartphone use. It’s another indicator that they
aren’t just thought-leading, but actually practice-ready.”
It would be interesting to learn more from the survey, or
from future research, if other characteristics common in influencers are at
play in how much time key opinion leaders spend on the Internet, says Stinson.
“These might include: colleagues in digital forums regularly seek them out for
advice; they use blogs or other digital platforms to share insight from
specialty conferences; and, they participate in more formulary or protocol
review committees by virtual means.”
Key opinion leaders tend to use social networks for
professional purposes more often than other physicians, as 39 percent use
consumer social networks, 42 percent use professional social networks and 50
percent use medical association/society social networks. “At the heart of a
brand strategist’s role is the ability to listen to what customers know, how
they find information, and how they use it,” Stinson told Med Ad News. “The
Kantar survey provides more evidence that physicians’ views in social media
could provide a powerful qualitative research modality. Today, we can observe
and learn from online communities by following the real-world conversations
that take place on networks (LinkedIn, Facebook), forums (WebMD,
PatientsLikeMe), bookmarking (StumbleUpon, del.icio.us), visual content
communities (Flickr, Pinterest, YouTube), and micro-blogs (Twitter). Most
of all, we can construct a more complete picture of how these fit into a health
care professional’s life and practice. We have to remember that these key
practice influencers are often members of Clinical Advisory Committees (CACs).
Most payers will consult with CAC members before rendering a decision on
whether or not to cover a proposed treatment. That extends the influence
of a leading-edge physician who shares his or her experiences in social media.”
Key opinion leaders are multimedia journal readers with 57
percent reading both print and digital versions of current issues of medical
journals, 86 percent read print editions, and 55 percent read full digital
reproductions, meaning PDF or “flip view” versions.
“The Kantar results further encourage us to evaluate forums
where an influential physician is posting or reading – or even where their
patients with similar conditions may be interacting with the physician,”
Stinson told Med Ad News. “In this way, we can identify channels for
community management, content planning, and media engagement.”
