Bulletin Healthcare: Physicians Prefer iDevices Despite Android Share Surge

Among physicians using the latest technologies to get their work done, Apple’s iPhone and iPad hold a commanding lead over all competing platforms, despite Android recently surpasssing Apple’s offerings in share of the consumer smartphone market, according to Bulletin Healthcare.

The group focused on mobile device usage between June 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011 based on the reading habits of more than 550,000 healthcare providers, including more than 400,000 physicians who subscribe to their daily email briefings.

Examining the proportion of briefings accessed by doctors on their mobile devices, the analysis indicated that consumption climbed by 45% between June and February.

Almost three in 10 healthcare professionals now access the daily medical information contained in their briefings on devices like iPhone, and iPad, but also on Android-powered smartphones and tablets, as well as those developed by Research in Motion and Palm, albeit much less frequently.

“Despite Apple’s longer tenure in the marketplace, we were surprised by the wide margin between Apple devices and others,” said Bill Mulderry, president of Bulletin Healthcare.

“Combined, the iPhone and iPad grabbed more than 90% share of use in February, while Android saw only 6% use, and other platforms like RIM and Palm barely registered.”

According to Mulderry, a remarkable change in share was recorded among the surveyed platforms.

Because of the iPad, iPhone use fell to 79%, from 86% last June. On the tablet front, iPad share nearly doubled to 14% in February, up from 8% in June.

The study also found differences in mobile-device use between practitioners in various medical specialties. Bulletin Healthcare found the following usage among specific specialties:

Physician Assistants – 41%
Emergency Room Physicians – 40%
Cardiologists – 33%
Urologists – 31%
Nephrologists – 31%
Dermatologists – 30%
Gastroenterologists – 30%
Psychiatrists – 28%
Optometrists – 28%
Radiologists – 24%
Rheumatologists – 22%
Endocrinologists – 21%
Oncologists – 20%
Clinical Pathologists – 16%

In March, Softpedia cited an online survey of 341 U.S. healthcare professionals to report that as many as 79% would choose Apple’s iPad for professional use.

The study was conducted by Aptilon Corporation, a company that partners with pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies to reach, advertise to and interact with more than 500,000 US physicians.