Social Media and Prescribing Patterns

A new study finds that more than half of the physicians asked frequently or occasionally changed their perception of a medication or treatment after viewing pharma-generated content on social media. The survey was conducted by Sermo, a private online community for physicians and LiveWorld, a digital agency specializing in social media.

Data from the survey showed that 17% of respondents frequently change their perceptions about medications based on new information from social media, while 40% occasionally do, 28% rarely do, and 16% never do.

Source: Sermo/LiveWorld survey

Researchers also found an association between age and how likely healthcare practitioners are to change their perception about a medication or treatment based on data from social media. Practitioners aged 35 to 44 who participate in private groups on Facebook were more likely to change their views about medications and treatments, while physicians aged 65 to 74 said they never alter their perceptions.

While physicians report using both private social communities (like Doximity and Sermo) and public social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, survey results indicate physicians have more trust in closed-community groups than they do in public platforms like TikTok or Facebook.

According to experts at the Advisory Board, a leading healthcare consultancy firm, the trends in the survey are not surprising. With rapid and continuous changes in medical research, it can be challenging for physicians to stay current about the latest developments. Online physician communities, including through social media, often offer new insights and peer discussions, giving physicians access to more information on which to base their clinical decisions.