These days, the healthcare industry has begun taking a much closer look at the gifts pharmaceutical companies give doctors. However, despite this, there hasn't been as much attention paid to "e-detailing," the giving of health information technology to physicians. Now, in an effort address yet another source of potential physician bias, the Association of American Medical Colleges has issued a report making recommendations on how such relationships should work.

Pharmas have been investing in and promoting EMRs, and distributing PDAs for a number of years. Today, they continue to spend on marketing through IT donations to physicians, with such spending continuing to grow over time, according to research by marketing TGaS Advisors.

To learn more about this trend:
- read the AAMC report [1] (.pdf)
- read the Modern Healthcare article [2] (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
Congress debates pharma gift disclosure [3]
Doctors debate pros and cons of accepting drug freebies [4]
MA lawmakers mull ban on pharma gifts to doctors [5]
NJ mulls pharma, device maker gift reporting [6]