News in brief - Jan. 13, 2003
More patients check out practice Web sites
More patients check out practice Web sites
About 7.3 million consumers visited practice Web sites during three months of 2002, up from 2.5 million consumers for a similar period in 2001, according to New York-based consultant Manhattan Research.
The major factor driving the increase is that the sites became more useful, the firm's survey found.
Instead of simply providing static information such as address, phone number and driving directions, physicians are starting to offer clinical information and are letting patients request appointments, prescription refills and other transactions. Consumers also are accessing physician sites because doctors are suggesting it.
The findings, based on a survey of 3,028 consumers, also found insurance Web sites getting more hits. About 11.3 million consumers visited insurer sites during the same three-month period studied in 2002, compared with 4.1 million for 2001.
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