Life science companies should increase their investment in digital channels to engage HCPs, according to research that will be released Wednesday by Cegedim Relationship Management.

The report states the following resources have significant untapped potential: virtual visits, webinars, samples and scientific publications. The report’s authors added “[that] these are more valued by physicians than pharma employees realize.” Conversely, researchers found that channels such as “booths at congresses/conferences, roundtables or the quality of the rep visit” were overvalued by pharma employees.

Cegedim also cited a survey conducted by its Spanish outfit that tracked the digital habits of HCPs. It found that this segment spent more time looking up medical information and on continuous medical training than social networks. Almost 59% of those HCPs polled spent between one to five hours per week looking at medical information on digital channels; 56.1% spent one to five hours on continuous medical training and 54.8% spent less than one hour a week on social communities/networks, the research found.