Siri and Alexa are already changing how Europeans get health info, DRG Digital | Manhattan Research data show

BURLINGTON, Mass., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Voice assistant programs and voice search are poised to transform how patients and physicians find medical information in Europe, research from DRG Digital | Manhattan Research shows.

Data from Manhattan Research surveys of European patients and physicians shows surprising early use of these technologies by doctors, and strong demand among consumers for their use in health tasks. Among the findings:   

• Over half of EU5 physicians (56%) use or are interested in using voice assistants in their work
• Among the 17% of EU5 physicians already using voice assistants, Apple's Siri is used by 2 in 3 for clinical practice, while Google Assistant is used by half (Amazon's Alexa comes in third place, used by 27% of these early adopters)
• Use of voice assistants by physicians was particularly high in southern European markets such as Spain, where 1 in 4 (24%) physicians uses a voice assistant in clinical practice
• Consumer use of voice search for health is very modest, but demand is strong, with 45% of European adults online expressing interest in using voice assistants for health-related needs. Notably, nearly 1 in 4 European smartphone users use voice search on that device, and among these mobile voice search users, 1 in 4 say they are increasingly opting for voice search over typing in search terms.

"This is an important trend for healthcare marketers in Europe to keep an eye on," said Gintare Greenfeld, Senior Analyst at DRG Digital, "because voice search queries have a longer tail than typed keywords and are different in nature, demanding new SEO strategies."

"Physicians the world over are digitally-savvy gadget fans and tinkerers," commented Jeff Wray, Director, Europe and APAC Research, DRG Digital. "So it's not a total shock that many European physicians are already using these technologies as time-savers. We expect to see adoption increase over the next few years, and healthcare marketers, including pharmas, will need to adjust to this reality swiftly."

DRG Digital's European expansion
DRG Digital recently bolstered its European bench by adding two seasoned executives to its London office: Wray, who heads up DRG Digital's research efforts in Europe and the Asia Pacific region; and Carlos Casanova, who leads commercial initiatives across European and global markets. A veteran research analyst, Wray previously co-led the company's U.S. and global physician research from its Manhattan office. Casanova also joins DRG's London office from New York, where he led the commercial success of DRG Digital in top accounts, and brings to his work an eclectic background in biomedical research and medical information spanning five continents.

They will oversee DRG Digital's European accounts and research, including Manhattan Research surveys of patients, physicians and payers, as well as custom analytics for Europe-based pharma and healthcare clients.

"With these appointments and our presence in Barcelona this week, we're expanding our European research offering," said Fabien Savenay, Senior Vice President for Digital at DRG, "and we stand ready to help our clients in pharma, biotech, digital health and medical publishing better differentiate their products and engage their customers in these key markets using rich data-driven insights."

EyeforPharma Barcelona
Wray will be leading a workshop on trends in marketing to healthcare professionals at the upcoming EyeforPharma Barcelona conference, one of the region's premier events for pharmaceutical marketers. Dubbed "Innovations or Impostors? Identifying Which HCP Marketing Trends Will Stick or Stall in 2018," the workshop will be held on Wednesday, March 14^th from 12:10-1:15pm, and will cover Manhattan Research findings on voice search, VR, AI and telemedicine, among other topics. For more information on this session or to get in touch with Wray or Casanova in Barcelona, contact [email protected].

About DRG Digital | Manhattan Research

DRG Digital, a part of DRG, is the life science industry's partner for data-driven customer engagement and commercial innovation. DRG Digital's Manhattan Research studies have been the industry's go-to source for physician, patient and payer multichannel planning for more than 15 years. Brands, marketers and digital teams at 40+ leading life sciences companies rely on our experts, research and analytics to understand their customers and engage them with the right channels, content and messaging.

Visit www.DRGDigital.com or follow @DRGDigital to keep up to date on our analysts' thinking and access eBooks, infographics, webinars and other resources.

About Decision Resources Group

DRG, a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises Ltd., is the premier source for global healthcare data and market intelligence. A trusted partner for over 20 years, DRG helps companies competing in the global healthcare industry make informed business decisions. Organizations committed to developing and delivering life-changing therapies to patients rely on DRG's in-house team of expert healthcare analysts, data scientists, and consultants for critical guidance. DRG products and services, built on extensive data assets and delivered by experts, empower organizations to succeed in complex healthcare markets.

To learn more, visit www.decisionresourcesgroup.com.

Media contact: Tori Gillern, 781-993-2001, [email protected]

SOURCE Decision Resources Group

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