SAN MATEO, Calif., Oct. 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Epocrates, Inc. (Nasdaq:EPOC), developers of the most popular medical application among physicians, today announced that it also holds the top spot as the leading online market research sample provider. For the second consecutive year, Epocrates® Honors panel, comprised of 275,000 U.S. physicians and 750,000 allied healthcare professionals, was ranked number one in client satisfaction and qualified attributes in its category in the 2012 Market Research Supplier Satisfaction Survey.
The Epocrates Honors panel received top marks across the three most important characteristics for a panel provider: respondent honesty, sample representivity, and sample targetability, compared to the other 12 companies evaluated. As the only healthcare-exclusive panel recognized in the report, its integrity is credited to a stringent physician verification process. Additionally, Epocrates' deep relationship with U.S. physicians, who largely use its medical application to support patient care, has contributed to its expansive size and quality.
"Epocrates has set the standard for both specialty and general online panels in 2012 and beyond, ranking #1 for the second consecutive year in overall customer satisfaction among online sample providers," said Mike Carroll, director of sales and marketing for MarketResearchCareers, who commissioned the survey to identify research organizations that delivered the highest levels of client satisfaction in 2012.
The Epocrates panel has grown annually since its inception in 2001, and is a representation of the physician universe with qualified survey participants across every demographic. Additional panel factoids include:
- Primary care physicians are the most surveyed population
- Oncologists are the highest targeted and compensated specialty
- International clinician surveys are conducted through a partnership with M3 Global
- Nurse practitioners and physicians assistants, who have prescribing rights in many states, have experienced a 70 percent increase in fielded and completed surveys in the past year
- Clinicians report participating in surveys to earn honoraria (82 percent), share their opinions (63 percent) and as a learning experience (59 percent)1
"I know Epocrates, so I'm more likely to participate in a survey from them," said Dr. Michael Karp, family medicine, Wexford, Pa. "I enjoy taking the surveys to share my point of view and the honorarium is a bonus."
More than 350 market research firms have contracted with Epocrates to recruit clinicians by specialty, occupation and targeted list matches for fast, reliable responses to surveys. Epocrates also offers customizable qualitative market research services for pharmaceutical companies and investors seeking clinician opinions and insights.
About Epocrates Market Research
Epocrates is a leading physician platform for essential clinical content, practice tools and health industry engagement at the point of care. Healthcare professionals using Epocrates clinical software are invited to participate in market research activities, creating one of the largest verified, opted-in market research panels in the nation. The Epocrates Honors Panel, in partnership with M3 Global, includes 275,000 verified physicians and 750,000 allied healthcare professionals worldwide. A member of The Trust Alliance, Epocrates' panel is recognized for its honesty, representation and responsiveness. The company offers a variety of convenient services, including recruiting and qualitative interviews, for market research specialists, pharmaceutical marketers and investors to obtain insights from its clinician panel.
The Epocrates, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10943
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. The forward-looking statements include uncertainties and risks including, among others: the inability to retain and expand the Epocrates physician network at the rate expected; unexpected delays in delivering new products; lack of market acceptance of new products; the inability to maintain product quality and brand credibility; the inability to keep up with the technological advances within the marketplace and by competitors; the inability to realize estimates and guidance made by management with respect to Epocrates' financial results; and other factors, including general economic conditions and regulatory developments not within Epocrates' control. The factors discussed herein and expressed from time to time in Epocrates' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by such statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release, and except as required by law, Epocrates undertakes no obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should review the Epocrates' filings, especially the risk factors contained in its most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.
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1 Epocrates 2010 survey