Report: Physicians Leaning More On Internet TechnologiesReport: Physicians Leaning More On Internet Technologies

Physicians are increasingly turning to high technology in conducting their everyday practices, according to a survey released Wednesday by Manhattan Research.

While there is little surprise in the finding that physicians are flocking to the Internet or that they use Google and Yahoo search engines, they have cottoned even to the iPod and other digital music players. The market research firm said nearly 40 percent of the physicians polled have used iPods or another portable digital music player.

"Leading the shift towards the 'digitization' of health information, the data reveal continued growth of physicians using electronic medical records or electronic prescribing," Manhattan Research reported. "In fact, 142,000 physicians report they are actually using the Internet during patient consultations."

The market research firm, which tracks physician trends and developments, noted that while Google and Yahoo search engines are most popular with doctors, they also look for information in specialized physician portals like Medscape, Merck Medicus, and UpToDate.

Even on the cutting edge of technology, Manhattan Research found that 487,000 physicians use the so-called "new media" – streaming video, downloadable audio content and blogs.

In their contacts with pharmaceutical companies, some 75 percent of physicians said they have used – or are interested in using – online customer service with drug companies.