Study details smartphone, tablet computer use

You and your peers increasingly are relying on smartphones and tablet computers to check email, research medications and conditions, and complete online surveys, according to new research by online research company Knowledge Networks using its Physicians Consulting Network.

Drawing on responses from 5,490 doctors, the 2011 Digital MD Marketing research found that:

• 67% of primary care physicians (PCPs) and 61% of specialists now have smartphones.

• 27% of PCPs and specialists alike have tablet computers (such as iPads), about five times the level in the general population.

• Reference applications are the most popular mobile medical “apps” among physicians.

“Mobile technology has indeed proven a boon to busy physicians, helping them keep up on the latest information and manage their practices,” said Jim Vielee, senior vice president in charge of the Physicians Consulting Network.