A new report by Manhattan Research says the take-up of tablets among US physicians has nearly doubled over the last year. Adoption has reached 62 percent in 2012 up from 35 percent a year ago, says the research firm in its report. One half of physicians say they have used their tablets at the point of care with patients. Unsurprisingly the firm said Apple’s iPad is the favourite tablet among physicians which anecdotally is often said to be the case.

Overall the report says physicians’ device and digital media adoption are evolving “much faster than anticipated”. Other findings include that physicians with three screens (tablet, smartphone and desktop, laptop) spend more time online with each device and go online more frequently during their working day than those physicians with only one or two screens.  

Interestingly in contrast to the other findings, Manhattan says adoption of physician-only social networks remained flat over the last year. And physicians are more likely to ask advice of peers with whom they went to medical school or worked with previously than those they first met online. The study surveyed 3,015 physicians online in the first quarter of 2012.