The full article can be found at http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/medical/how-to-evaluate-medical-billing-services-1042610/

If one thing was very clear it was that Physicians are using the Internet more today then they ever have.  In a study that Google ran, they found that 86% of Physicians are using the internet to gather healthcare, medical and pharmaceutical information.  In fact, the Internet was the number one source for this type information – 78% are using online CME compared to 71% using peer journals and 67% utilizing pharmaceutical reps.

What I also found very interesting is where the Physicians are using the Internet.  The Google study showed that 92% of the providers are searching for information at the office with 21% of them using the internet while in the exam room.  These numbers go to show the importance of online data for doctors in their day-to-day practice.  88% of doctors were using the internet at home to find healthcare information, while 59% are using a mobile device.

Among the topics that doctors are researching, conditions came in first at 57% followed by treatment at 36% and pharmaceutical brand at 33%.

Consumers are also turning online to find relevant healthcare information.  61% of consumers studied said that they use the Internet to gather healthcare information and that 32% of those use this information to ask their doctors specific questions.

So what does this mean for us?  If doctors are turning to online sources in rapidly increasing numbers, the importance of reaching out to them online also needs to increase.  Whether it be a well targeted email campaign, eDetail or informational YouTube channel, marketers need to turn their attention to what is becoming the far and away the most popular medium for healthcare information.

In speaking with several peers in the direct marketing industry who have tried similar promotions I had been told to expect a small lift in response…but a much bigger lift in conversions.  That appears to be the case.  What makes this even more exciting is we are hearing from segments of the healthcare market where we had been underpenetrated but are committed to pursuing in 2010.

Bottom line is: email promotion work for our clients…and they work for us, too!  Most inquiries are for  “physician mailing lists”, “dentist mailing lists“and “NP PA mailing lists”; however, once we follow-up there is genuine interest in “email solutions”, too.

Already lining up our March/April promotion – stay tuned!

Despite concerns of a low turnout in the exhibit hall we experienced a terrific volume of qualified visitors to our booth and early follow-up indicates a record-setting ROI for a single trade show.  While traditional forms of direct marketing are still popular, there certainly was an emphasis this year on digital marketing including email and social marketing.  As marketers try to stretch their budgets further than ever before, online marketing has become a crucial piece of the puzzle.  HDS exhibited a full suite of both offline and online healthcare marketing solutions at the show.  If you did not have a chance to stop by in San Diego, contact us today for more information.

San Diego played a perfect host to the conference this year.  The Gaslamp Quarter is  a wonderful area with a large array restaurants and clubs for client entertainment, but many of you know that already!

We look forward to another great show next fall in San Francisco.

The MGMA Annual Conference is the largest professional development and networking conference for medical practice administrators.  Carrie shared some of her thoughts about the conference with the blog:

Denver , CO MGMA this year was great!  I had the chance to meet with a multitude of companies and departments, all of which were interested in Healthcare Data Solutions.  Not to my surprise the buzz was around E-mail marketing and other cost effective ways to reach new prospects as well as communicate to current customers.  While mostly we’re planning for the 2010 year, I’m excited to facilitate a customized solution for my new clients.

Whether planning for 2010 or for the final quarter of 2009, HDS can help find effective ways for you to reach out to your customers and find new ones.

HDS will also be attending the Direct Marketing Association Annual Conference next week in San Diego, CA.  Stop by our booth #2320 to say hello and for a chance to win a great prize!

Best guess is Federal reporting under the “Sunshine Act” will be required in March, 2011… but tracking of aggregate spending on HCP’s must begin January, 2010.  SpendTrackPRO can help Pharma, BioTech and Med Device companies build the database and reporting mechanism they will need to comply.

At a recent conference sponsored by the Center for Business Intelligence, several consulting firms who were presenters discussed the difficulty in finding all of the various transactions from multiple departments that need to be tracked.  CBI then recommended the use of external data sources (like HDS) to create a more accurate and robust Customer Master file.

In short, you will have an accurate HCP record on which to “attach”’ the transaction, saving lots of data entry, duplication, and minimizing errors.  The ability to then link a HCP to their multiple practice locations and then aggregating all spend at both the HCP and the group practice level using HDS’ proprietary ID system will simplify the reporting process greatly.

Check out our downloadable PDF at www.healthcaredatasolutions.com/spendtrackpro.html for more information.