A survey of European internet users found that 50% said they want to be able to email their doctor, schedule appointments online and receive prescriptions by email.
The survey found that consumers want online services that make communication with their doctor faster and more convenient, such as the facility to schedule appointments online
Some 45% of European consumers (54% in US) said they would like to be able to email their doctor and a further 46% in Europe (55% in US) would like their doctors to be able to send prescriptions by email.
Significant numbers of those surveyed said they would also like to be able to schedule doctor’s appointments on the Internet, with an average of 44% in Europe (33% in the US) stating that they would like to see this facility.
The report suggests that pharmaceutical companies, currently one of the key providers of health information, could help build corporate brand loyalty by providing an online tools and resources to patients that facilitates their interaction with physicians
David Deon of Datamonitor commented: "There is a significant opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry to provide consumers with accurate and reliable online resources that foster the patient-doctor relationship."
The survey also found that one in three European consumers were found to have looked for health information in the last year. Datamonitor surveyed 4,531 people across Europe and the US in June 2002.
Results from this survey show that as many as 32% of European consumers (43% in the US) have looked for health-related information, both on and offline in the last year.
In addition to traditional resources such as doctors, books and magazines, 36% of these consumers in Europe (66% in the US) had used the Internet as a means to search for health-related information.
Those surveyed said they are more likely to use health information websites sponsored by companies such as the BBC or Yahoo!, than websites which are connected to a pharmaceutical company, the government or medical institutions. In addition, women emerged as being 12% more likely than men to use the Internet to search for health information.
One in five European consumers who have looked for information online said they have asked their doctor about a disease symptom or diagnosis having read something on the Internet.
The survey also found that 21% of the European consumers who had searched for health information online (28% in the US), have asked their doctor about a specific medication because of something they have read on the Internet.
Almost 40% of European consumers (48% in the US) told Datamonitor that they would like to discuss information that they find on the Internet with their doctor.