Barometer Releases

Global Survey of 1,150+ Healthcare Professionals Examines Expert Perspectives on Weight Loss Medications and their Evolving Role on Patient Outcomes

New York – The 35th Barometer from Sermo, a fast, frictionless HCP social engagement platform and leader in healthcare insights, revealed that healthcare providers (HCPs) are most eager to see GLP-1 medications be approved to treat sleep apnea. The Barometer surveyed 1,150+ global healthcare providers across specialties on their experience prescribing weight loss medications. In addition to sleep apnea, HCPs were most interested in seeing GLP-1 medications approved to treat chronic heart failure and MASH (formerly NASH).

Patients Taking Medication Dosage Into Their Own Hands:

According to the LA Times, “some patients, with or without the help of doctors, are experimenting with “microdosing” weight loss drugs — using smaller-than-recommended amounts — in order to stretch limited supplies, reduce costs, and even potentially curb side effects.”

• 91% of surveyed HCPs reported they are somewhat to very concerned about patients independently adjusting their prescribed medication doses. 
• 75% of those who actively prescribe weight loss medications have had patients report side effects (in line with results from Sermo Barometer 31, October 2023 at 77%).
  • The most common side effects patients report are nausea (55%), diarrhea (12%), and stomach pain (9%).
  • Only 20% of HCPs reported that patients stopped taking medications because of side effects. 
• 69% of HCPs report patients very often to often inquire about the cost of weight loss medications.

How are Celeb Endorsements & Non-traditional Healthcare Settings Prescribing GLP-1s Impacting Patients?

• 78% of HCPs surveyed report that Hollywood, celebrities, and influencers’ embrace of GLP-1s for weight loss has harmed patients’ realistic expectations of the medication.
• 72% of HCPs believe non-traditional healthcare programs such as med spas and telemedicine companies prescribing weight loss medications are problematic.
  • 71% reported lack of adequate patient education as the top concern followed by improper patient monitoring (65%) and lack of familiarity with side effects (52%). 
  • Only 11% of surveyed HCPs felt very confident in these non-traditional healthcare settings’ competency levels to manage weight loss medications. 
• Due to recent reports of severe side effects associated with GLP-1 medications half (58%) of HCPs reported making changes in their practices to monitor patients more closely.

“The expanding role of GLP-1 medications beyond weight loss, such as their potential to treat conditions like sleep apnea or chronic heart failure, represents an exciting shift in healthcare. For primary & family care, this evolution offers immense potential to address complex, interrelated conditions more effectively. However, it also underscores the need for comprehensive training and systems to support safe prescribing practices and close patient monitoring. As these therapies evolve, primary care will be at the forefront of integrating them into holistic, patient-centered management,” said Dr. Kyle Lee, BMLSc, BMBS, MPH, CCFP, Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member.

Weight Loss Treatment Doesn’t Stop at GLP-1s:

• Two-thirds (67%) of HCPs report increasing metformin prescriptions for patients who don’t qualify for GLP-1s.
• Semaglutide medications are still the most popular weight loss medication to prescribe with 82% reporting they actively prescribe Ozempic, 65% reporting they actively prescribe Wegovy, and 37% prescribing Rybelsus.

Weight-Loss Care Trends: Certifications, Mental Health, and the Push for Oral GLP-1s:

• Certifications: Despite 81% reporting prescribing any medications for weight loss or a weight loss benefit in the past year, 67% of those surveyed report not having any Obesity Treatment Certification, such as the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) or European Association Study of Obesity Medicine (EASO) 
• Impact on Mental Health: After metabolic health (35%), 16% of HCPs report mental health as a top area of improvement for patients who have been on weight loss medications for at least six months followed by self-esteem at 12%.
• Oral is the future: HCPs believe that oral medications are the future of GLP-1 medications, with 78% reporting that they think the majority of patients will want to switch to an oral form once available. 
• Weight-Loss Goal Management: Only a third (33%) of HCPs are gradually weaning patients off weight loss medications once they’ve achieved their goal weight and less than a third (31%) are prescribing lower doses once the weight goal has been achieved. 

This survey was fielded from November 20th – 22nd, 2024 as the 35th edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer study. The survey included 1,159 global healthcare professionals whose specialties ranged from PCPs, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, cardiologists, endocrinologists, OBGYNs, and pediatric medicine. To explore more findings, visit: https://app.sermo.com/barometer

About Sermo:

Sermo is a fast, frictionless physician engagement platform providing the healthcare industry with real-time business insights and authentic physician touchpoints through our global community of 1M+ healthcare professionals and state-of-the-art technology. For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan 

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

(858) 245- 7256

Survey of 400+ healthcare professionals examines familiarity, barriers, training, and misconceptions of psychedelic and dissociative drug treatments

New York – The 34th Barometer from Sermo, an online physician and provider community and leader in healthcare insights, surveyed 430+ mental healthcare providers around the world, including psychiatrists, general practice physicians, and advanced practice providers, on their sentiments about psychedelic and dissociative drug treatments, finding that 94% would be open to integrating these treatments into their practices if legalized in their countries. Worldwide, there has been growing interest from industry, government, media, and patients in psychedelics for the treatment of mental health conditions. 89% of HCPs surveyed believe that psychedelic medicines have unique therapeutic potential compared to traditional medications in treating patients with significant mental health conditions, such as treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anorexia nervosa.

Existing Familiarity with Psychedelics:

HCPs are keeping up with developing research about psychedelics for the treatment of mental health conditions. The majority of surveyed healthcare professionals (67%) were either moderately or extensively familiar with the current clinical research on psychedelic and dissociative drugs. Surveyed psychiatrists had more familiarity (71%) with clinical research than other specialties. Ketamine is the most well-known psychedelic and dissociative drug among surveyed HCPs, with 45% indicating they are extremely or very familiar with its use in treating mental health disorders. This is followed by MDMA at 29%, LSD at 26%, and psilocybin at 25%.

According to one anonymous Sermo US Psychiatrist and survey respondent, “Psychedelics may have potential significant benefits but they also carry significant risks. If we are to introduce them as psychiatric treatments there needs to be research on their safety and efficacy. They need to be regulated and safety measures need to be put into place. It’s important that the right patients obtain benefit and that people do not abuse them. It’s important that they be medically supervised to prevent just anyone from using them. Once enough research has been done, I see them integrating into psychiatric care like esketamine, with strict measures in place.” 

Potential Barriers & Practice Integration:

If legalized, HCPs feel there are many barriers to integrating psychedelic and dissociative drug treatments into their practices. Healthcare professionals report needing clinical guidelines (80%), comprehensive training programs (78%), and guidance to legal considerations (60%).

HCPs do not view psychedelic and dissociative drugs as a first-line treatment, with nearly half (45%) of surveyed HCPs citing lack of response to traditional treatments as key criteria to prescribe psychedelic and dissociative drugs to a patient.

Patients are also open to the idea of psychedelic and dissociative drug treatments. 79% of those surveyed report that they noticed increasing patient interest in psychedelics as a treatment option. When asked why they felt patients are more open, the most common answer was a growing acceptance of alternative mental health treatments (64%) and increased media coverage of psychedelics (60%). 

Agreement with FDA Decisions Varies by Treatment:

US healthcare professionals aren’t always in agreement with the FDA’s decisions. Despite the recent decision not to grant MDMA approval for the treatment of PTSD, 52% of HCPs believe an exception should be made for veterans, who have spent years lobbying for the drug,  to receive the treatment. However, 73% agreed with the FDA’s decision to grant LSD-based medications breakthrough status for the treatment of generalized anxiety.

Two US states have already decriminalized psilocybin (magic mushrooms) creating easy access for residents to purchase, possess, and grow them. While many healthcare professionals are open to the future of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions, the majority (61%) do not feel patients should be able to readily access psilocybin without medical intervention for the purposes of treating depression, addiction, and PTSD.

Eye on Ketamine:

52% of surveyed HCPs believe that ketamine is being prescribed “off-label” too often. Two-thirds (67%) of surveyed HCPs believe compounding pharmacies should not be allowed to distribute Ketamine.

This survey was fielded August 28th – September 4th as the 34th edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer study. The survey included 431 psychiatrists, general practice physicians, and advanced practice providers who have treated a patient for a mental health condition in the last year, from US, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and UK.

To explore more findings, visit: https://app.sermo.com/barometer 

About Sermo:
Sermo is a fast, frictionless physician-first platform providing the healthcare industry with real-time business insights and authentic physician engagements through our global community of 1.5M healthcare professionals and state-of-the-art technology. For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com. 

Media Contact:

Sermo Barometer 33 Examines Care Team Prescribing Habits, Patient Journey Dynamics, Pharma Support & Cross-Team Collaboration

New York, NY – The 33rd Barometer from Sermo, an online physician and provider community and leader in healthcare insights, surveyed 430+ Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) including physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) finding that the majority (97%) believe they are key to addressing the nationwide physician shortage. Care dynamics in the U.S. are rapidly changing with the Association of American Medical Colleges reporting that the United States will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. To fill gaps in care, 89% of surveyed APPs believe they should be granted full independent prescribing authority.

APPs Are a Critical Piece of the Care Team Puzzle

APPs play an important role across various stages of patient journeys. 34% of APPs reported being most involved in the ongoing condition management of the patient journey, 32% reported being most involved in the treatment decision-making stage, and 23% reported being most involved in the diagnosis stage of the patient journey.

“For the past 20+ years, Sermo has been dedicated to supporting and amplifying the voice of global physicians,” said Peter Kirk, Sermo CEO. “However, given the evolution of care delivery and provider shortages, especially in the United States, fostering connections between the healthcare industry and entire care teams is critical for improving patient outcomes.”

APPs also see themselves as embracing new treatment options. 74% of those surveyed consider themselves “early adopters – early majority” when the opportunity to prescribe a new-to-market pharmaceutical product arises.  The majority of APPs (56%) responded that at least half the prescriptions they write each month are for chronic conditions (such as diabetes or high blood pressure).

“As a physician assistant, I’ve witnessed firsthand the invaluable contributions that APPs make in filling critical gaps in care delivery,” says Adam Hetz, PA-C and Sermo member. “Our adaptability combined with our advanced training positions us to address emerging healthcare challenges and provide innovative solutions to meet the needs of our patients.”

How APPs View Care Team Dynamics 

The most common words APPs use to describe their working relationship with physicians are collaborative, supportive, and professional. When APPs were asked how physicians could best support them in their day-to-day, 22% said fostering a collaborative approach to patient management, 19% said sharing knowledge/expertise in their specialty area, and 18% said providing regular feedback on patient care provided. 

When asked how to address patient concerns about their role in the patient’s care, 75% of APPs say they approach the subject by clarifying their role and qualifications, followed by reassuring patients of the collaborative nature of the care team (67%).  

Care models are also evolving to address the dual challenges of burnout and the increasing number of patients in the US residing in medical deserts—areas where access to healthcare is severely limited or nonexistent.  APPs are crucial in these new models, particularly in urgent care settings and med spas. The number of med spas has grown exponentially in recent years, turning into a $15 billion wellness industry offering services ranging from IV therapy to weight loss prescriptions to skincare and cosmetic procedures.  However, these models introduce new challenges: 81% of APPs believe medical spas should have enhanced regulation and oversight to ensure patient safety and quality care.

How the Industry Can Best Support APPs

APPs value their relationships with pharma company reps/medical science liaisons. 83% of those surveyed found educational outreach from these professionals valuable. When asked about their preferred information sources to stay up-to-date on the latest treatment options, respondents’ first choice was guidelines (25%), followed by continuing education (19%), medical journals (15%), and trusted websites (14%). APPs are keenly aware of the challenges patients face with medication affordability and access. 65% of APPs would like more insurance coverage and pharmacy benefit information from pharma companies. Other support APPs value from pharma include:

• 68% of APPs want more information about cost management programs such as manufacturer coupons and prescription discount cards.
• 55% of APPs want more information on newly approved medications.
• 49% of APPs would like more treatment administration training.
• 43% of APPs want more clinical trial information.
• 49% want more drug interaction information, 49% want more drug effectiveness information, and 53% want more safety information.

This survey was fielded April 17th-23rd, 2024 as the 33rd edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer study. The survey included 436 Advanced Practice Providers including physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the U.S. 

To explore more findings, visit: https://app.sermo.com/barometer 

About Sermo:
Sermo is the largest global healthcare research company and the most trusted physician and provider engagement platform. Sermo engages with more than 1.5 million HCPs across 150 countries and has reach into the U.S. Payer market that now exceeds 230M commercial lives covered.

For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable business insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. Sermo offers on-demand access to HCPs via a proprietary health-tech ecosystem to gain targeted HCP insights that inform strategic decisioning in real-time. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan 

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

(858) 245- 7256

Addressing Staffing Shortages Key Priority for Healthcare Leaders in 2024

New York, NY – The 32nd Barometer survey from Sermo, an online physician and provider community and leader in healthcare insights, of 100+ U.S. healthcare decision-makers working in hospitals or healthcare facilities found that while interest in AI and machine learning is high, they have a long way to go to leverage it successfully. Nearly half (45%) of these executives report they are actively following trends in AI and machine learning in the industry, yet only 25% have implemented AI/machine learning in their organization. 1 in 5 (21%) of surveyed healthcare leaders feel that significant opportunities are being missed to implement emerging AI applications. 

Healthcare leaders are taking a long view on AI’s ability to impact their organizations positively. 91% of healthcare leaders surveyed believe that AI/machine learning will be an integral part of their organization’s growth and success in five years or beyond. Only a third (33%) of those surveyed believe that AI will have an impact on organizational success within the next year. 

Respondents’ vision for medical imaging and diagnostics complements the industry’s focus given the FDA has now approved nearly 700 medical devices that incorporate AI/machine learning with the majority being cleared for radiology. 

The Escalating Challenge of Staff Shortages: 

While AI might be all the rage, staffing shortages are the top-of-mind priority for healthcare leaders. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, there will be an estimated shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034 in the U.S. alone. And, the American Hospital Association reports there is currently an overall shortage of 1.1M nurses. 56% of healthcare leaders reported that physicians and specialists continue to be the top staffing challenge, followed by 47% struggling to staff NPs/PAs, and 46% struggling to staff laboratory personnel. Healthcare leaders don’t see technology as a solution as only 17% reported that they are looking to automate tasks with technology to help solve these challenges. 

“We consistently hear from our physician and provider community about the negative impacts of staffing shortages,” said Erin Fitzgerald, CMO at Sermo. “When tapping into our expert community of healthcare decision-makers in this Barometer, a common thread emerges – despite the excitement surrounding AI’s potential applications in hospitals and health systems, staffing remains, and will persist as, the foremost priority.”

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the number of applicants to medical schools declined by 4.7% compared to the previous year. Healthcare leaders see collaborations with schools and training programs as key to helping solve their staffing challenges as reported by 44% of respondents.

Organizational Priorities & Challenges for Healthcare Leaders:

• Shifting Care Settings: Healthcare leaders anticipate additional investment in outpatient care as a way to optimize resources and outcomes for their hospitals as reported by 83% of respondents, followed by shifts to telehealth (75%), and home-based care (73%).
• Competitor Differentiation: nearly half (48%) of healthcare leaders said investing in services to differentiate their organization from the local competition, making it the most popular priority. 
• System-Wide Technology Implementation: 31% reported that they feel poorly equipped to train staff on the adoption of new technologies and 42% feel poorly equipped to demonstrate ROI on new technologies. 
• Electronic Unification: Integration with existing organizational healthcare systems continues to be a challenge for a third (36%) of healthcare leaders as is interoperability with other healthcare facilities/networks (33%).
• Staying in the Know: When asked how they stay informed about emerging technology for their hospital, healthcare leaders feel that networking with peers is the most helpful (68%), followed by vendor relationships (66%), and industry events (54%).

This survey was fielded between December 15th – January 2nd as the 32nd edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer survey. The survey included 100 U.S.-based healthcare leaders who are decision-makers at the management or executive level working for a hospital or healthcare facility ranging from standalone community hospitals, multi-facility health systems, single hospital health systems, academic medical centers, independently owned hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and long-term care facilities. To explore more findings, visit: https://app.sermo.com/barometer 

About Sermo:

Sermo is the largest global healthcare research company and the most trusted physician and provider engagement platform. Sermo engages with more than 1.4 million HCPs across 150 countries and has reach into the U.S. Payer market that now exceeds 230M commercial lives covered.

For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable business insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. Sermo offers on-demand access to HCPs via a proprietary health-tech ecosystem to gain targeted HCP insights that inform strategic decisioning in real-time. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan 

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

(858) 245-7256

Survey Examines 300+ Global HCPs’ Sentiments Around Prescription Weight Loss Trends, Preventative MRIs & Concierge Medicine

New York, NY – The 31st Barometer survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in HCP insights, of 300+ global practitioners revealed that 77% of HCPs feel that celebrities and influencers’ enthusiasm for prescription medications for weight loss or a weight loss benefit causes patients to have unrealistic expectations of the medications. 

Patients want prescription weight loss medications and HCPs are meeting their demands. 89% of surveyed HCPs reported that they have seen a recent increase in patients proactively requesting prescription weight loss medications. 92% of PCPs reported actively writing scripts for weight loss drugs or drugs with a weight loss benefit in the past year. 

In addition to the boost in word of mouth from celebrities and influencers, a recent analysis by MediaRadar found that ad spending for diabetes and weight loss prescriptions has increased by 21% compared to last year. Sermo’s survey found that among patients who proactively request weight loss medications, 48% of surveyed HCPs reported that their patients only have brand awareness of Ozempic.  Another 23% of patients are aware of multiple brands.   

The high demand for prescription medications for weight loss or a weight loss benefit does not come without issues for both patients and HCPs:  

77% of HCPs said their patients experienced side effects and 65% of HCPs reported that patients stopped taking the medication as a result of side effects. “There has been a significant increase in patients requesting semaglutide-type medications as the social buzz has prompted the weight loss effects of these meds,” Dr. Ashish Rana, MD Internal Medicine Program Director & Associate Chair of Academic Medicine at Crozer Health in Pennsylvania and Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member. “Side effects of these medications are not highlighted, which leads patients to then complain when they occur and can ultimately lead to a rebound in weight if they give up on the medicine.”

Accessing these weight loss medications is also a common issue. 89% of surveyed U.S.-based HCPs reported that they have struggled with getting prior authorization approval. Overall, HCPs are finding manufacturer resources and tools helpful when navigating patient coverage for these medications as reported by 63% of U.S.-based surveyed HCPs. Endocrinologists found manufacturer resources the least helpful with only 27% reporting the tools have helped them navigate eligibility when starting a new patient on a medication. 

HCPs aren’t fans of non-traditional healthcare settings, such as MedSpas and telehealth companies, prescribing weight loss medications. 75% of surveyed HCPs reported these settings as problematic due to patients not receiving the proper monitoring that they would in a doctor’s office (61%) and prescribers in these settings not being familiar enough with possible side effects (57%). 71% of endocrinologists find these MedSpas problematic because they cause drug shortages for those who actually medically need the medications.

Preventative Healthcare Trends

• Mixed Views on Whole-Body MRI: 42% of HCPs report patients inquiring about whole-body MRI scans while only 23% of surveyed HCPs find whole-body MRI scans useful for prevention due to limited availability (62%), clinical insignificance of findings (58%), and patient anxiety (53%).  Also, 77% of HCPs believe celebrity endorsements of whole-body MRIs mislead the public.
• HCPs Support Biomarker Testing: 56% of HCPs endorse biomarker testing alongside annual physicals, with 61% of endocrinologists recommending it.
• Concierge Medicine’s Future: 54% of HCPs foresee membership-based/concierge medicine as the future of primary care, particularly among PAs and NPs (63%).

This survey was fielded between September 28 – October 2, 2023 as the 31st edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer survey. The survey included 346 global HCPs including PCPs, Endocrinologists, Cardiologists, OB-GYNs and Advanced Practice Providers. To explore more findings, visit: https://app.sermo.com/barometer 

About Sermo:

Sermo is the largest global healthcare research company and the most trusted physician engagement platform. Sermo engages with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries and has reach into the U.S. Payer market that now exceeds 230M commercial lives covered.

For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable business insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. Sermo offers on-demand access to HCPs via a proprietary health-tech ecosystem to gain targeted HCP insights that inform strategic decisioning in real-time. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan 

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

(858) 245-7256

Survey Examines 300+ Oncologists’ Sentiments Around New Research, Innovations, Patient Care, and AI

New York, NY- A new survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in HCP insights, of 300+ oncologists revealed they would like an average of seven more minutes per appointment explaining treatment plans to improve the patient experience.  On average oncologists reported spending 27.5 minutes with patients explaining treatment plans, however, in an ideal world, oncologists wish they could spend 34 minutes with patients. 

“As oncologists, our patient appointments are time-sensitive and every minute is valuable. Having an extra seven minutes would greatly enhance our ability to offer comprehensive treatment overviews, address more patient questions, and provide additional emotional support during this critical phase of their treatment,” said Dr. Guy Jones, Radiation Oncologist, and Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member.  

Oncologists Embrace New Mammogram Guidelines and Advocate for Early Detection of Breast Cancer in High-Risk Patients

Breast cancer is top-of-mind for many oncologists given recent recommended changes in patient screening guidelines. Surveyed oncologists overwhelmingly supported the recommended mammogram guideline updates from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that all women get screened every other year starting at age 40 as indicated by 88% of oncologists surveyed. Oncologists feel this is an urgent issue as 64% of those surveyed reported that their practice has seen an increase in patients diagnosed with breast cancer from a mammogram before the age of 50. When patients are observed with dense breast tissue, 91% of surveyed oncologists recommend additional screening (such as an ultrasound or MRI) for the early detection of breast cancer. These sentiments align with the FDA’s new guidelines that providers notify patients if they have dense breast tissue.

Oncologists Are Eager to See How AI & ChatGPT Can Save Them Time:

As ChatGPT exists today, oncologists are most interested in exploring how the technology can assist them in reviewing medical literature as reported by 47% of those surveyed. More than a third (34%) of surveyed oncologists have already used ChatGPT in a professional capacity. Hospital-based oncologists were more likely to be earlier adopters of ChatGPT with 41% of those surveyed saying they had used the technology in a professional capacity. Whereas, 21% of private practice oncologists reported having used the technology in a professional capacity. 

Sixty-one percent of surveyed oncologists reported that they see an opportunity for AI tools to assist patients during appointments with tasks such as note taking. This sentiment is even higher among early adopters of ChatGPT (79%). Oncologists are also enthusiastic about ChatGPT’s potential to help with translating patient education/complex medical information into layman’s terms as reported by 73% of those surveyed. 

Additional Key Findings on Oncologist Sentiments:

• 60% of oncologists reported that after a medical congress is a key time to gain the most valuable learnings from data presented by connecting with peers (20%), following KOLs & DOLs on social media (20%), and doing their own research (19%).
• Oncologists are feeling favorable about the future potential of mRNA cancer vaccines as 78% of those surveyed said they would suggest a newly-approved cancer vaccine to their high-risk patients.
• Innovations that oncologists self-reported high expertise in include immunotherapies (84%), liquid biopsies (72%), new biomarkers (69%), and anti-drug conjugates (68%).
• Innovations that oncologists report that they have low expertise in include cell & gene therapies (21%).
• For oncologists who indicated they have low expertise in cell & gene therapies, they had the most interest in educational topics of efficacy data (82%), safety data (72%), and indications/contraindications (69%) to increase their knowledge about this new innovative treatment regimen.
• When just surveying U.S.-based oncologists, the top challenge to incorporating new treatments into their practices is the cost to the patient (24%). Only 10% of European-based oncologists had the same concerns about costs. 

This survey was fielded as the 30th edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer survey. The survey included more than 300 global oncologists who were surveyed between May 22nd- 28th, 2023. To explore more findings, visit app.sermo.com/barometer.

About Sermo:

Sermo is the largest global healthcare research company and the most trusted physician engagement platform. Sermo engages with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries and has reach into the U.S. Payer market that now exceeds 230M commercial lives covered. 

For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable business insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a proprietary health-tech ecosystem to gain targeted HCP insights that inform strategic decisioning in real-time. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.

Media Contact: 

Allyson Noonan

AN Communications

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

(858)245-7256

Survey of 300+ Dermatology-focused Physicians Explores Sentiments Across Social Media, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Artificial Intelligence, and Treatment Innovations 

New York, NY- A new survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in HCP insights, of 300+ Dermatology-focused physicians found there is significant apprehensiveness about cosmetic content they are seeing on consumer-facing social media as 74% of physicians agreed they have safety concerns about cosmetic trends they have seen or heard about on TikTok and other social platforms. 59% of the physicians surveyed feel that social media has hurt the effort to manage patients’ expectations with cosmetic treatments.

Practices are being inundated with patients bringing up cosmetic trends seen on social media with 80% of surveyed dermatology-focused physicians reporting that their patients bring up these trends frequently to occasionally and only 2% of physicians reported that patients have never brought up a trending social media cosmetic treatment in their practice.

“Dermatologists feel they are in a no-win battle against unrealistic expectations of cosmetic treatment capabilities being presented on consumer-facing social media channels,” says Dr. Roya Azadi, Medical Director at Concord Clinic and Elite Medical + Longevity and Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member. “While some consumer-focused social skincare content can be informative, some of what is being seen on TikTok is not from a professional perspective and some of the procedures being presented are actually harmful to the patient.”

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Has a Long Way to Go in the Dermatology Field:

Dermatology-focused physicians agree that more needs to be done within the medical community to assist in diagnosing patients of color as 73% of those surveyed reported that they find it more challenging to diagnose skin conditions in patients with darker skin tones. This issue is of significant urgency as 67% of those surveyed reported that they see more patients of color in their practice coming in with later-stage conditions due to delayed detection. 

The survey of dermatology-focused physicians also indicated that more needs to be more in practices to address the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Only half (52%) of those surveyed reported that their practices have implemented training dedicated to the unique medical needs of this community. This lack of training could be of particular concern to patients at high risk for skin-related health concerns due to sun-protection behaviors, side effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy and procedures, and skin manifestations of sexually transmitted diseases.  

Other Key Survey Findings:

Excitement is High for Dermatology AI & Digital Tools, But Current Trust in Tools is Low:

• 77% of surveyed dermatology-focused physicians reported that they had used an app, digital tool, or online image gallery, yet 66% of those surveyed reported that they have concerns about the accuracy of the results. Accuracy concerns were even higher among survey participants who practice dermatological surgery with 85% expressing concern. 
• Other concerns about these digital tools included security (43%), the ability to use them on patients with darker skin tones (40%), and the tools having manufacturer basis (40%).
• Until trust in AI-driven results is established, the jury is still out on where AI can best serve dermatologists in their practices. When asked how they see AI as best-supporting dermatology, there was no clear winner with the top four answers as condition screening (17%), image analysis to support tele-dermatology (16%), disease severity and staging (14%), and clinical assessment (14%).

Excitement is High for New Treatment Innovations:

• When asked what cosmetic dermatology advancements dermatology-focused physicians were most excited about, they selected bio-sim/regen fillers (43%), long-acting neurotoxins (long-lasting injectables) (41%) and laser treatments for darker skin tones (38%) within the top three. 
• Dermatologists’ enthusiasm is highest for both oral and topical JAK-inhibitors. More than half (58% for oral, 56% for topical) of surveyed dermatologists indicated this is the atopic dermatitis innovation that they are most looking forward to. Enthusiasm for JAK-inhibitors was followed by IL-13 antagonists at 40%. 

This survey was fielded as the 29th edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer survey. The survey included more than 300 global physicians ranging from dermatologists, dermatology-focused surgeons, and primary care physicians who treat medical and cosmetic dermatology conditions who were surveyed between April 5-10, 2023. To explore more findings, visit app.sermo.com/barometer.

About Sermo:

Sermo is the largest global healthcare research company and the most trusted physician engagement platform. Sermo engages with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries and has reach into the U.S. Payer market that now exceeds 230M commercial lives covered. 

For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable business insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a proprietary health-tech ecosystem to gain targeted HCP insights that inform strategic decisioning in real-time. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.

Media Contact: 

Allyson Noonan

AN Communications

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

(858)245-7256

Timed to the JPM Conference, Survey of 1,200+ Physicians Delves Into 2023 Healthcare Predictions, mRNA Technology, Biosimilars, Cell & Gene Therapy, and Drug Shortages

New York, NY- A new survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in HCP insights, of 1,200+ global physicians found that optimism is high for the future of mRNA technology for patient treatments. Physicians across all 14 specialties surveyed were in agreement that mRNA technology will have a future role in healthcare beyond Covid-19, as 77% reported they would prescribe mRNA technology treatments once available. Physicians were also in agreement that oncology is the therapeutic area with the most to benefit from the technology. While clinical excitement is high, physicians were widely in agreement that patient adoption will be a challenge due to misinformation about the technology steaming from the pandemic. 61% of physicians surveyed felt that patients will be hesitant to accept new mRNA technology due to the polarization of the Covid-19 vaccine. 

“mRNA technology will continue to be the buzz in the physician community this year, but not just related to infectious diseases,” says Dr. Guy Jones, Medical Director for Oncology Nevada and Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member. “This technology also shows promising potential to treat cancer, especially alongside other immunotherapies.”

Other Key Findings:

Diagnostics & Treatment Innovations Play a Large Role in Healthcare Technology That Excites Physicians:

• Biomarker testing dominates physician interest as the diagnostic innovation they are most excited about in 2023 as it was the most popular response (26%) among surveyed physicians. Oncologists are particularly interested in this innovation as indicated by 60% of those surveyed. While physician interest in biomarker testing is very high, 25% of surveyed physicians reported that high upfront costs are the biggest challenge to scaling biomarker testing. Other challenges include the availability of testing (16%) and complex admin requirements (14%). Despite barriers, many physicians are already leveraging biomarker testing as a critical tool. 45% of surveyed physicians reported recommending biomarker testing to their patients on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
• When it comes to treatment technology innovation, enthusiasm is high for the potential of personalized medicine. 34% of surveyed physicians reported this as the treatment innovation they are most looking forward to in 2023. 

Healthcare Technology Innovations Physicians Believe Will Lead to Better Patient Outcomes:

• ChatGPT: In another Sermo poll about the recently launched AI tool ChatGPT, physicians reported mixed feelings about its use in healthcare with 34% reporting being excited, 24% nervous, and 39% a little bit of both. Physicians also reported they would use ChatGPT for research, diagnostics, and treatment (39%), patient care and delivery (27%), clinical and non-clinical workflow (27%) (n=210)
• Wearables: excitement over wearables for monitoring patients remotely was high among physicians. 19% of those surveyed reported this is the healthcare technology they are most excited about in 2023. 

Biosimilars: the Buzzword at the JPM Healthcare Conference:

Biosimilars were all the talk at the recent JPM conference, particularly biologics going off-patent. When prescribing biologic treatments, 48% of surveyed physicians cite comparable efficacy data as the key influencer to choose a biosimilar vs. branded biologic versus only 19% citing the financial savings to the patient. Physicians are also unsure how they feel about federal agencies requiring “switching studies” deeming all biosimilars interchangeable. Nearly half (48%) of surveyed physicians said they are unsure if regulatory agencies should remove required “switching studies” that deem all biosimilars interchangeable.

With Humira going off-patent this year, non-medical switching is top-of-mind for payers; however, physicians are not supporters of non-medical switching of prescriptions for biologics. 77% of surveyed physicians reported that they preferred their patients receive exactly what they prescribed.  

While Excitement is High for 2023, Physicians Also Have Concerns:

• While ADHD medication shortages have been making headlines, physicians were in agreement that antibiotic shortages will have the greatest impact on public health as indicated by 45% of surveyed physicians, followed by diabetes treatments at 29%.
• Public health concerns ranked in the top three include mental health crisis (46%), rising costs of healthcare (45%) and staffing shortages (44%). Despite headlines concerning the opioid epidemic, only 3% of surveyed physicians indicated this was their top public health concern for 2023.

This survey was fielded as the 28th edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer survey. The survey included more than 1,200 global physicians who were surveyed between January 11- 17, 2023. To explore more findings, visit app.sermo.com/barometer.

About Sermo:

Sermo is the largest global healthcare research company and the most trusted physician engagement platform. Sermo engages with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries and has reach into the U.S. Payer market that now exceeds 230M commercial lives covered. 

For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable business insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a proprietary health-tech ecosystem to gain targeted HCP insights that inform strategic decisioning in real-time. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.

Media Contact: 

Allyson Noonan

AN Communications

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

(858)245-7256

Nearly Half of General Care Physicians Reported They Do Not Have Enough Knowledge About PrEP Options to Discuss with Patients 

New York, NY – Ahead of World AIDS Day, Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in global HCP insights, released a new survey that found 46% of general care physicians including PCPs, OB-GYNs, and pediatric physicians, reported they feel they do not have enough knowledge about currently approved PrEP medication options to prescribe them to patients. Whereas 98% of infectious disease specialists reported they felt they have enough knowledge about PrEP medications signaling a need for further education from industry stakeholders for noninfectious disease specialists. An important area of opportunity as patients who are likely good candidates for PrEP often go to a PCP instead of seeking out an infectious disease specialist.

The cost of PrEP continues to be a driving factor for patients’ decision to decline treatment in the U.S. as reported by 26% of surveyed physicians. However, PrEP is fully covered in most instances when a patient has private insurance, highlighting another opportunity to further educate patients and providers via patient support and financial assistance programs. Despite PrEP private insurance coverage, young adults 26 years old and under face insurance barriers to accessing PrEP. 23% of surveyed physicians said they don’t know of any resources to help patients on their parent’s insurance who want to access PrEP but don’t want their parents to find out. This number declined to 16% when surveying just infectious disease specialists, suggesting an area of opportunity for wider outreach among patient support and financial assistance programs to help this patient population. 

Concerns about the cost being the driving factor for patients declining PrEP are lower in Europe than in the U.S. When comparing physician experiences, cost was the number one driver of patients declining PrEP treatment compared to the number three reason in the EU5. The rest of the world followed the U.S. sentiment of cost being the leading reason patients decline PrEP. In Europe, physicians reported the top reason patients declined PrEP treatment is planning to take other preventative measures (27%), followed by stigma (24%), and then cost (20%).

PrEP Adoption Faces Challenges on Multiple Fronts Beyond Cost and Education:

• PrEP isn’t top-of-mind for most patients: only 16% of surveyed physicians reported that patients often proactively asked them for PrEP.
• Patients struggle to maintain adherence to PrEP: 70% of surveyed physicians reported that patients often or sometimes have a hard time adhering to the once-a-day pill schedule of taking PrEP.
• Misinformation about how PrEP works persists as 49% of surveyed physicians reported hearing misinformation about the treatment from patients in their practices. 
• When asked the most common misinformation they hear in their practices, PrEP is only for men who have sex with other men is what they heard most often as reported by 63% of physicians. This is in contradiction with the reality that an average of 22% of new HIV diagnoses each year are from heterosexual contact.  

“HIV is 100% preventable. Education for both providers and patients is critical in making more progress against the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” says Dr. Claudia Martorell, an Infectious Disease Specialist and Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member.  “Education, along with improved insurance coverage, increased medication awareness, better access for at-risk populations, and decreasing stigma around HIV infection all support our ability to do a better job in ending the epidemic.   

Cost & Adherence Keep HIV Patients From Successful Treatment Regiments: 

Similar to concerns about the cost of PrEP, affordability is the key treatment attribute that is most important to physicians when recommending an HIV medication to a patient (17%) followed by fewer side effects (15%), and less medication to take each day (13%). In addition, physicians reported adherence is another key barrier to HIV treatment as more than half (56%) of physicians reported that patients they are treating for HIV/AIDS have a difficult time following a strict medication adherence program. Interest in longer-lasting injectable medications is likely to be high among HIV patients, as 48% of surveyed physicians reported that patients simply forgetting to take their medication is the top reason patients didn’t adhere to treatment plans. Multidrug-resistant HIV is also a huge concern for physicians as nearly half (43%) reported treating patients with these issues.

This survey was fielded as part of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer survey. The survey included more than 600 global physicians who were surveyed between November 2nd – 14th, 2022. To explore more findings, visit app.sermo.com/barometer.

About Sermo: 

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan

AN Communications

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

Latest Barometer Survey of 1,110+ Physicians Finds Low Patient Interest in New Bivalent Covid Booster

New York, NY – A new survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in global HCP insights, found that the majority of physicians feel there is a lack of clinical guidelines to diagnose and treat Long Covid in patients in their practices. The survey of more than 1,100 global physicians found that 86% felt there is a lack of clinical guidance on how to diagnose Long Covid and 87% reported that they felt there is a lack of clinical guidance on how to treat Long Covid in patients. 

Long Covid is Top-of-mind for Physicians and Patients Alike:

Long Covid is a pressing issue for many physicians. 62% of surveyed physicians reported that they are seeing an increase in Long Covid symptoms in patients in their practice and 71% reported seeing an increase in patients being concerned about Long Covid. Physicians are also acutely aware of Long Covid’s potential effect on their patients for developing new health conditions as more than half (57%) of surveyed physicians are seeing patients in their practices newly diagnosed with another condition (autoimmune diseases, IBD, myocarditis, A-fib, etc.) following a Covid infection. Long Covid is also affecting patient mental health as 77% of surveyed physicians reported that they are seeing an increase in mental health issues with patients in their practices who are dealing with Long Covid.

U.S. Physicians Are Recommending the New Bivalent Covid Booster, But Patients Aren’t Interested:

Booster apathy is high among already vaccinated patients. While 87% of U.S.-based surveyed physicians are recommending that patients get the new bivalent Covid booster; more than half (54%) of physicians report that patients who are already vaccinated are resistant to getting it. When asked why vaccinated patients were resistant to getting the new bivalent Covid booster, surveyed physicians reported the most common reason they hear from patients is that they will be infected regardless of being boosted (58%), followed by they are “over it” with pandemic fatigue (57%), and they are fearful they will feel unwell from the booster (48%). Patients are also ready to take a chance on when they felt they need the new booster, as nearly a quarter (24%) of surveyed U.S.-based physicians reported that patients expressed wanting to wait to get boosted until there is an increase in local cases.

Unclear guidelines were among other reasons physicians were hearing from already vaccinated patients in their practices on why they aren’t getting the new bivalent Covid booster:

• 33% of surveyed physicians reported that patients were unsure when to get boosted because they were recently infected 
• 17% of surveyed physicians reported that patients were unsure about bivalent booster availability for their vaccine brand

“Long Covid is a secondary pandemic crisis challenging both physicians and patients alike,” says Claudia Martorell, MD MPH FACP, Sermo Medical Advisory Board member. “Long Covid’s complexities and lack of clinical guidelines on how to treat it is of increasing frustration to many physicians trying to help patients in their practices.”

In addition to facing booster resistance among already vaccinated patients, surveyed physicians reported that misinformation continues to persist among patients in their practices. Nearly half (48%) of U.S.-based surveyed physicians reported hearing misinformation from patients about the new bivalent Covid booster. When asked what misinformation they were hearing most often from patients about the bivalent Covid booster, surveyed physicians reported they most often heard you don’t need a booster if you’ve already had Covid (68%) followed by the vaccine was rushed into development and there is a lack of clinical data (58%).

This survey was fielded as part of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer survey. The survey included more than 1,100 global physicians who were surveyed between Sept 22 – 26, 2022. To explore more findings, visit app.sermo.com/barometer.

About Sermo: 

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan

AN Communications

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

As WHO declares a global health emergency, 65% of doctors say their countries do not have enough vaccines 

New York, NY –  With the spread of monkeypox on the rise and the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a global health emergency, findings from a recent survey conducted by Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in global HCP insights, show there is high concern about public misinformation spreading. The survey also found that while 71% of respondents would recommend vaccination as a preventative measure to a patient who was concerned about contracting monkeypox, 65% of doctors say their country does not have enough vaccines.

The barometer survey included 1,011 physician respondents from 20 countries, with key findings including:

Concerns About Misinformation

Seventy-eight percent of physician respondents are concerned about the spread of monkeypox misinformation and 60% are concerned that monkeypox is being categorized incorrectly as a sexually transmitted disease, such as syphilis or HPV.

Based on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, 36% feel public health authorities should prioritize public education combating misinformation/disinformation to prepare for a potential monkeypox pandemic. 

Preparedness For a Further Outbreak

Fifty-two percent of physicians reported that their practice/health system has a plan in place for monkeypox testing and treatment pending a further outbreak, and 62% are confident in how public health officials are currently handling the monkeypox outbreak in their region.

Measures to Take If You’re Infected

For patients infected by monkeypox who want to prevent spreading to others, physicians agree (80%) to isolate at home until rashes are completely healed. Seventy-four percent would recommend washing hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer, and 68% would have patients take medication directly as prescribed. 

“Now spread to more than 70 countries, it’s imperative that physicians and patients understand the facts and risks of monkeypox,” says Claudia T. Martorell, MD, MPH, FAC, Sermo Medical Advisory Board member and Director of The Research Institute in Springfield, MA. “Similarly with the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a high margin of misinformation and lack of resources and education surrounding this breakout. As physicians, we need to make certain that our voices and expertise cut through misguided commentaries and confusion.” 

About the Barometer:

This survey was the 25th edition of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer that amplifies the voice of physicians globally on key topics, including COVID-19, specialty-specific patient care, and most recently monkeypox. The survey was fielded between July 27-Aug. 1, 2022 and included 1,011 physician respondents across 20 countries. To explore more findings from Sermo’s latest Barometer, visit https://app.sermo.com/barometer.

About Sermo:

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

Kite Hill PR for Sermo

sermo@kitehillpr.com

With ASCO’s Focus on Healthcare Equity, 31% of Oncologists Advise the Best Solution to Address the Lack of Diversity in Clinical Trials is Creating a Network of Trial Sites in Underserved Communities

New York, NY – Today, a new barometer survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in global HCP insights, timed to the conclusion of the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference found that the tracks oncologists found the most practice-changing were breast cancer (58%), lung cancer (34%), and developmental therapeutics – molecularly targets agents and tumor biology (32%). Among the breast cancer tracks being followed at ASCO, the DESTINY-Breast04 abstract was the most highly attended with 79% of the surveyed oncologists who were interested in breast cancer data attending this abstract. 43% of oncologists found the data presented in the abstract to be meaningful to their treatment decisions. 

In terms of treatment data being presented at ASCO, data relating to tumor targeting antibodies and adoptive cell therapies were the most interesting among oncologists. When asked what treatment data presented at the conference they found very interesting, 59% of surveyed oncologists found tumor targeting antibodies very interesting. Other data being presented at ASCO that were of significant interest to oncologists included adoptive cell therapies data as reported by 58% of oncologists, ​​immune effector cell modulators co-inhibitory antagonists as reported by 54% of oncologists, and immunogenic cell death inducers (radiotherapy and chemotherapy) as reported by 45% of oncologists.

ASCO continues to be a leading educational event for oncologists worldwide, with 89% of oncologists surveyed reporting that they followed this year’s conference in real-time in some capacity. However, how oncologists attended this year varied greatly. Many oncologists are still preferring virtual options for conferences as 39% of oncologists surveyed reported that they attended ASCO virtually this year. The most popularly attended sessions/activities by surveyed oncologists who attended ASCO were education sessions (70%), oral abstract sessions (54%), the opening session (51%), clinical science symposium (42%), and poster discussion sessions (42%).

Additional Insights on Driving Diversity in Clinical Trials

Additionally, 31% of oncologists surveyed felt the best solution to address the lack of diversity in clinical trials is to create a network of clinical trial sites in underserved communities. This was followed by 17% of oncologists surveyed feeling that the best solution is to mandate patient recruitment requirements, and 14% responding that developing a diverse pool of investigators and staff is the best solution.

A Look into How Oncologists are Now Treating Patients Affected by Covid-19

Oncologists are overwhelmingly turning to Paxlovid as a treatment option. 84% of surveyed oncologists said they are recommending Paxlovid to their oncology patients if they test positive for Covid-19. However, barriers to accessing Paxlovid still exist. 18% of oncologists surveyed reported the reason they aren’t prescribing Paxlovid is that it’s too hard for patients to find the medication. 

Among reasons oncologists were choosing not to prescribe Paxlovid to patients included:

• Paxlovid isn’t the only Covid-19 treatment oncologists are interested in prescribing to patients. 29% of oncologists who reported they aren’t prescribing Paxlovid to patients, said it is because they are prescribing molnupiravir instead.
• Paxlovid efficacy concerns exist among oncologists. 1 in 5 oncologists (21%) who reported that they aren’t prescribing Paxlovid said it was because they aren’t confident in the efficacy profile. 
• Medication interactions also played a role in oncologists not prescribing Paxlovid to patients as reported by 12% of oncologists surveyed.

About the barometer:

This survey was fielded as part of Sermo’s ongoing Real Time Barometer as a special edition timed to the annual ASCO conference. The survey included 218 oncologists and oncologists/hematologists in the US and EU5 between June 10-15, 2022. 

To explore more findings from Sermo’s latest Real Time Barometer, visit app.sermo.com/covid19-barometer.

About Sermo:

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan

allyson.noonan@gmail.com

Oncologists Also Report Fewer Preventative Cancer Screenings Taking Place in Their Practices, Raising Fears of Undetected Cancers in Patients

New York, NY – A new survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in global HCP insights, timed to the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference found that nearly half (47%) of attending oncologists are most interested in new data being presented about lung cancer. This is followed by a similarly high interest in new data about breast cancer, as reported by 44% of oncologists surveyed. Additionally, oncologists/hematologists reported they are most excited about learning about tumor targeting antibodies treatments as reported by 54% of those surveyed. 

Ahead of ASCO’s Annual Meeting, new cancer research and innovations are the driving reason surveyed oncologists/hematologists are attending the conference this year (59%). However, how they plan to attend looks different to many oncologists, as only 18% of oncologists/hematologists surveyed said they will attend ASCO in-person this year.

A Look Into the Pandemic’s Negative Impacts on Cancer Care Globally

Oncologists are concerned about how the pandemic has affected current and potential future cancer patients. More than three-fourths (76%) of oncologists/hematologists surveyed said they had seen patients in their practice delay appointments and treatment due to the pandemic. Also worrying many oncologists/hematologists, more than half (52%) of those surveyed said their practice has seen a decreased rate of cancer screenings. Most commonly they reported seeing a decrease in mammogram screens (74%) and colonoscopy (70%). 

“I survived my own cancer battle at the height of Covid after finding out I had acute myeloid leukemia from a screening, so this topic is near and dear to my heart,” said Peter Kirk, Sermo CEO. “This survey reveals we still have a long ways to go to get back to “normal” in terms of prevention and cancer care, and events like ASCO are critical in reinforcing the highest treatment standards and new innovations in the fight to end cancer globally.” 

Other concerns oncologists had about how the pandemic has affected patients in their practice include:

• Half of the oncologists/hematologists surveyed (51%) said that cancer patients in their practice felt “left behind” as cities rushed to return to normal
• Long Covid is a significant issue for cancer patients who have been previously infected. Two-thirds (66%) of oncologists/hematologists surveyed said that cancer patients they are treating in their practice who have been previously infected are dealing with Long Covid issues. 
• The majority of oncologists/hematologists (89%) surveyed are recommending a second booster to those patients in their practice who qualify. 

This survey was fielded as part of Sermo’s ongoing Real Time Barometer as a special edition timed to the annual ASCO conference. The survey included more than 300 oncologists and oncologists/hematologists in the US and EU5 between April 27th- May 6th, 2022.

To explore more findings from Sermo’s latest Real Time Barometer, visit app.sermo.com/covid19-barometer.

About Sermo:

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

Allyson Noonan
AN Communications
allyson.noonan@gmail.com

Latest Sermo COVID-19 Real Time Barometer Survey of 3,600+ Physicians Finds COVID-19 Misinformation is Plaguing Doctor’s Offices

New York, NY – March 16, 2022 – A new survey from Sermo, a physician-first online community and leader in global HCP insights, found that physicians are facing a challenging onslaught of COVID-19 vaccine and treatment misinformation as reported by 3,600+ doctors around the world. 

81% of physicians reported feeling that social media misinformation has caused an existential crisis in their profession. More than half (54%) of physicians surveyed reported that a patient has asked them for an unapproved COVID-19 treatment such as Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine. Also, more than half (55%) of physicians reported that COVID-19 vaccine misinformation is increasingly becoming an issue when meeting with patients. 

Physicians are being bombarded with a variety of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. The most common misinformation they are hearing from patients is that vaccine safety and effectiveness cannot be trusted because researchers rushed the development of the vaccine, reported by 60% of physicians.

 Other types of misinformation heard by physicians from patients include:

• More than half (51%) of physicians reported hearing from patients that they don’t need a COVID-19 vaccine if they’ve already had Covid.
• Misinformation about vaccines modifying your DNA continues to prevail. 45% of physicians reported hearing this from patients.
• Conspiracy theories about microchips in vaccines have made their way to the doctor’s office as 29% of physicians reported hearing this from patients. 
• 1 in 5 (20%) physicians reported hearing from patients that the COVID-19 vaccine gives you COVID-19. 
• One-third of physicians (34%) reported hearing from patients that vaccines cause infertility. Physicians feel that vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women persists. 61% of physicians reported that pregnant patients are reluctant to get the vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is spilling over to other vaccines. 52% of surveyed physicians feel patients who have been hesitant to get COVID-19 vaccines will stop getting other vaccines.

“It’s clear from when we first launched the COVID-19 barometer at the start of the pandemic that misinformation is increasingly posing huge challenges to physicians when treating patients. Physicians feel like they are battling an infodemic that is threatening public health,” says Peter Kirk, Sermo CEO. “The barometer results clearly paint a picture that misinformation is showing up at appointments across the U.S. and the globe at a very local level.”

In addition to battling COVID-19 misinformation, surveyed physicians continue to report they are seeing a significant amount of reluctance among parents to get their kids vaccinated. 61% of physicians reported seeing patients more reluctant to vaccinate their children than themselves. Lack of long-term vaccine safety data in children (45%) was the leading reason physicians believed parents were reluctant to vaccinate their children. This is an increase from a previous Barometer survey fielded in November 2021 when 38% of physicians believed that lack of long-term vaccine safety data was keeping parents from vaccinating their children. 1 in 4 (23%) physicians believed that adverse effects and allergic reactions were a reason that parents weren’t vaccinating their children.

This survey was fielded as part 22 of Sermo’s COVID-19 Barometer and included more than 3,600 physician respondents between March 2 – March 3, 2022.

To find out more about the findings of Sermo’s latest COVID-19 Real Time Barometer, visit app.sermo.com/covid19-barometer.

About Sermo

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on-demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

For media inquiries, please contact us at pr@sermo.com

Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer survey suggests children ages 5-12 are at highest risk, with fatigue as the main long-COVID symptom.

New York, NY – September 14, 2021 – Almost seventy-five percent of physicians have seen an increase in COVID cases among children, mostly due to the Delta variant, with 45% of physicians seeing the greatest increase among children aged 5-12 years, a new global survey of 1,528 physicians finds.

In Sermo’s most recent COVID-19 Real Time Barometer survey, most physicians reported that they have not seen long-COVID or long-haul cases among children, however, a substantial 26% did say they have seen pediatric long-haulers, with the most common symptom manifesting as fatigue (63%) followed by headaches (47%), cold-like symptoms (44%), respiratory (43%) and loss of sense of smell / taste (40%). Long-haulers are patients who experience persistent symptoms after the typical course of the disease.

Most doctors surveyed said that long-COVID symptoms last about 1-4 weeks (36%) or 5-6 weeks (21%).  Sixty-five percent also reported that symptoms are milder and 34% said they do not linger as much in children as they do in adults, but nevertheless, 36% of physicians surveyed are somewhat concerned about the long-term health problems children may face.

The Need to Vaccinate Children

Sermo’s previous COVID-19 Real Time Barometer showed 65% of physicians believe that vaccinating children is essential for long-term control of COVID, but 55% of physicians also say their patients are more reluctant to vaccinate their children than themselves due to lack of long-term safety data and fear of adverse effects or allergic reactions.

Sermo’s latest COVID-19 Real Time Barometer showed 42% of physicians said 10% or less of their pediatric patients were vaccinated and still caught COVID. Close to 50% of physicians said that in their experience, it’s too soon to tell if having had COVID offers any immunity to the Delta variant. 

“While there is mounting pressure from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics for the FDA to consider authorizing emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines in children under 12,  the most at-risk group,” said Peter Kirk, CEO Sermo, “our survey also indicates getting children vaccinated is the next barrier for long-term control of COVID. Our survey reveals parents are more reluctant to vaccinate their children than themselves. With the Delta variant causing devastation, and another new worrying variant Mu on the horizon, the need to educate parents about children’s vaccinations is greater than ever.”

About the COVID-19 Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 80,000 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan, and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

Alexander Petti

pr@sermo.com

Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer survey suggests patients would be more open to vaccine if received from a physician they know and trust 

New York, NY – July 20, 2021 – With variants on the rise and the continued need for vaccinations, a new global survey of physicians finds that many doctors believe that they may be the key to boosting vaccination rates as they are an important source of information, comfort, and reassurance for COVID-19 vaccine-reluctant patients. In Sermo’s most recent COVID-19 Real Time Barometer survey, nearly 70% of physicians said that if they could administer the vaccine to reluctant patients themselves, they believe patients would feel more comfortable about getting vaccinated. Additionally, nearly half of physicians surveyed said that their ability to discuss the benefits of vaccination and answer patient’s questions during appointments could help increase patients’ willingness to get vaccinated. 

The Need to Vaccinate Children

Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer also showed 65% of physicians believe that vaccinating children is essential for long-term control of COVID, but 55% of physicians also say their patients are more reluctant to vaccinate their children than themselves due to lack of long-term safety data and fear of adverse effects or allergic reactions.

Opportunities to Increase Vaccination Rates Exist

Of the 3,329 physicians around the world who responded to the survey, 60% of physicians believe a one-dose vial that can be administered at the physicians’ office during appointments would be beneficial in continuing to administer vaccinations. A whopping 81% believe that pediatricians and family doctors are in the best position to vaccinate children. Surveyed physicians believe that resources and information should be created to educate their patient base and parents about the importance of getting vaccinated. Needed resources include a risk/benefit analysis, quick answers to tough questions, as well as safety and efficacy data. 

“Our survey reveals that physicians worldwide feel strongly that they can and perhaps, should, play a very important role in driving COVID vaccination uptake,” said Peter Kirk, CEO Sermo. “The trust they have built with their patients, combined with the ability to counsel, answer questions, ease concerns and provide assurances could help patients overcome their hesitancy to be vaccinated. Allowing physicians to vaccinate their own patients has the potential to increase vaccine rates.” 

About the COVID-19 Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 70,000 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan, and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

Alexander Petti

pr@sermo.com

New York, NY – May, 20 2021 – As the rate of people receiving COVID-19 vaccinations has slowed, a new survey of physicians has revealed that doctors are working hard to combat vaccine hesitancy, even among those who have already received their first dose. More than 72% of physicians surveyed said that patients continue to voice concerns over vaccine side effects. Still, others have reported ongoing misinformation discouraging people from getting vaccines. In addition, close to 30% of physicians reported encountering patients who have skipped their second dose due to unpleasant side effects of the first dose, or concerns over side effects.

Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer also showed over half of physicians report their patients have requested a specific vaccine with a clear preference for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, as 78% of physicians indicated it’s the most requested and Moderna following at a distant second (7%). In Europe, almost 93% of physicians reported Pfizer-BioNTech was the most requested.

Physician Views on COVID-19 Vaccines

Fielded May 4 – May 8, 2021, over 3,000 physicians around the world provided feedback, of which close to 40% have treated between 10-100 patients with COVID. The survey found most physicians are currently not optimistic that COVID-19 will be eradicated with 75% of physicians believing COVID-19 vaccine boosters will be required annually, and of that, 35% believing their patients will likely see it as similar to the annual flu jab.

This may be attributed to the ongoing vaccine hesitancy physicians reported. In addition to worries over side effects, physicians reported that they have also heard ongoing concerns about safety and efficacy (60%) or erroneous or misinformation, such as you don’t need a vaccine if you had COVID-19 (32%), the vaccine modifies your DNA (29%) or the vaccine contains a microchip (15%). 

Physicians are countering the vaccination resistance mostly by discussing the risk benefit profile (80%) and the impact COVID-19 can have on others (61%), while 14% are connecting patients to community resources, such as peer engagement, but not finding success. “I am burned out with efforts to convince patients to get vaccinated,” said Charles LaTendresse MD, Family Medicine, U.S. “I try to get their reasoning for not getting the vaccine, but I can’t buy into what I hear.” he added.

“Our survey reveals that while sharing effective vaccinations and therapies worldwide is vital, it is not enough,” said Peter Kirk, CEO Sermo. “There is a tremendous urgency to counter misinformation and disinformation, and share which messages and approaches have been successful in convincing people to get vaccinated.”  

COVID-19 and Neurological / Mental Impact

Data is continuing to emerge on the long-term implications of COVID-19, including the development of neurological or mental disorders, a topic extensively discussed at the recent American Academy of Neurology virtual meeting this year. While almost half of physicians thought it’s too soon to tell, a significant number of physicians (30%) believe COVID-19 is a neurotropic disease that can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause direct damage to the brain, rather than a respiratory illness that can have neurological side effects. 

In addition, 30% reported the pandemic has helped patients with social anxiety disorder / social phobia, and depression / mood disorders (29%) that may arise from avoidance of social situations and other in-person encounters by allowing more time for self-reflection and personal development. 

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 70,000 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan, and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact: pr@sermo.com

New York  – March 16, 2021 – One year after COVID-19 triggered a lockdown, economic downturn and devastating global unemployment, a Sermo survey of 2,696 physicians around the world revealed that an increasing number of patients are dealing with homelessness and an inability to afford treatments/medicines, raising concerns on the long-term health consequences beyond coronavirus. Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer also found that a large number of physicians report they are treating people for stress related to the pandemic, and are finding their own stress to be increasing.  

Economic Impact of COVID-19

Fielded Feb. 25, 2021-March 1, 2021, Study 17 found that more than half (53%) of respondents reported seeing an increase over the past year in the number of patients who are unhoused or in poverty and are unable to afford treatment/prescriptions (56%). Physicians also reported that food insecurity/malnutrition (53%) and an increase in substance use and abuse (52%) were health issues resulting from the rising level of poverty.

Additionally, 55% surveyed reported they have seen an increase in patients moving or changing physicians because they have lost their job and/or their house over the past year. 

“Regardless of country and whether they have a nationalized health system, physicians are witnessing dire health consequences due to the economic fall-out caused by COVID-19,” said Peter Kirk, CEO of Sermo. “A chief concern is the long-term impact on people’s health and wellness that isn’t directly related to the pandemic once the worst of the COVID-19 storm has passed.”

In the U.S., three out of four (73%) physicians noted that patients have forgone necessary treatments or appointments because they have lost their health insurance and/or were concerned over the cost. More than 60% of these same respondents reported medications for diabetes and high blood pressure — diseases that disproportionately affect low-income households — were most often skipped. One out of four (24%) felt maternal health was one of the biggest health issues associated with homelessness.

COVID-19 Impact on Health Systems

Physicians surveyed recognized the impact of COVID-19 on the entire healthcare continuum. Worldwide 56% believed there will be an increased strain on health systems from medical emergencies because of delaying access to healthcare. In the U.S., 57% of physicians recommended a free medical clinic when they discovered a patient is unhoused or in poverty — at a time when many of these health clinics are already at capacity.

Stress and the Pandemic

The study also found that 81% of physicians have treated patients suffering from stress related to the pandemic, and 79% reveal that they personally have found their stress levels to be increased over the last year. Their recommendations — both for their patients and personally — are to utilize a variety of coping strategies, including exercise (74% and 73%, respectively), meditation (45% and 42%) and even scream therapy (9% and 6%). 

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 70,000 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo turns physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company provides physicians with a social platform and unique community that fosters impactful peer-to-peer collaboration & discussions about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo offers on demand access to physicians via a suite of proprietary technology to provide business intelligence that benefits pharmaceutical, healthcare partners and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com 

Media Contact:

pr@sermo.com

One year after the first COVID-19 case in the U.S., Sermo surveyed physicians around the world as part of its COVID-19 Real Time Barometer, revealing that 86% of doctors around the world believe that mental health issues and depression will be the biggest non-COVID-19 public health issue after the pandemic. Other areas of concern for the coming year are an increase in violence (34%), increase in spousal or child abuse (27%), increase in suicides (26%) and an increase in opioid abuse (21%).

The effects of COVID-19

Fielded Jan. 8, 2021-Jan. 13, 2021, Study 16 of Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer included insights from 3,334 physicians across 24 countries. The study also revealed that the majority of physicians (53%) believe the long-term side effects of COVID-19 will be the biggest COVID-related public health issue over the next year. In addition, almost two out of three do not believe or are unsure whether the U.S. and the world will be able to return to normal after the vaccine is rolled out.

The survey also revealed that 63% believe the general public will need an annual vaccine to protect against COVID, while 64% said they are very concerned/concerned that a new COVID virus is on the horizon. Of those who participated in the survey, 53% believe the next pandemic will arrive in 5 or more years.

What have we learned after one year of COVID-19?

Study 16 also asked physicians about the biggest lessons learned during the first year of the pandemic, revealing unified beliefs about:

• Preparedness — We needed to be more unified and better coordinate federal and global response to the pandemic
• Health System Fragility — Worldwide, healthcare is seen as an area for cost cutting rather than investment, which has resulted in it being easily susceptible to a health crisis
• Public Education — We must focus more on educating about the importance of hygiene, prevention and vaccines without devolving into political turmoil

“I have learned resilience,” said Dr. Christopher Michos, emergency medicine physician in Bridgeport, Conn. “I have witnessed from my colleagues, our nurses, our techs and the truly unsung heroes, the maintenance and cleaning staff of my hospital. Every day, without a second thought, we are out there. It is war and we are the soldiers trying to save our patients, not knowing as we enter the battlefield, if the next exposure will be the bullet that will kill us.”

What do we still have to learn after one year of COVID-19?

Physicians surveyed are also concerned about the lessons still to learn about the pandemic, including where the virus originated, how it is transmitted, why certain groups are more at risk of severe infection, what the long-term effects of the virus could be, as well as how long the vaccine will last.

Additional findings from Study 16 include:

• 73% are very concerned/concerned that COVID-19 variants will spread in their region
• 48% are concerned that pulmonary compromise will be a significant COVID-19-related public health issue in the coming year; 27% are concerned about blood clots and other cardiovascular issues, and 22% are concerned about the neurological side effects and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adults (MIS-C, MIS-A)
• 78% are concerned about the long-term impact to the world economy; 50% believe the long-term impact to the healthcare system will be among the largest hidden consequences of the pandemic

“The biggest lesson from the pandemic is to help each other,” said Dr. Lisa Nassif, a pediatric neurologist in Houston, Texas. “I just opened my private practice during the start of the pandemic. I wasn’t able to buy PPE because of the shortage. I had colleagues give me masks and face shields. Once I obtained PPE, I shared what I obtained, as well. Without coming together, we wouldn’t make it through this awful time.”

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 68,000 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo is the world leader in turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company offers a unique physician-first online community that allows clinicians to communicate about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo uses a suite of proprietary, technology-enabled tools, so that they are able to cultivate a deep understanding of healthcare provider perceptions that can benefit pharmaceutical, healthcare partners and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit https://www.sermo.com/business/.

Media Contact:
Lora Grassilli
646.932.3735
lora@rjcomms.com

New York – December 2, 2020 – Study 15 in Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer of nearly 4,000 global doctors revealed that 74 percent of physicians believe it will take at least 7 months to achieve community immunity with the new vaccines. Sixty percent of the almost 4,000 physicians who participated said they believed it would take at least 10 months or longer, while 23 percent said it would take at least 18 months. 

The long runway to community immunity could be driven by barriers physicians believe will hinder adoption of the vaccine. 81 percent of physicians believed that concerns over vaccine safety or potential side effects could keep people from agreeing to take the vaccine. 46 percent indicated that people may not want the vaccine because they believe they won’t get the illness or that symptoms will be mild, while 39 percent said they thought people may not take the vaccine because they don’t like people or the government telling them what to do.

The findings come as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to grant emergency use authorization to the first two vaccines developed to protect against COVID-19. The survey, conducted between Nov. 20 and 24, included responses from physicians in 25 countries. 

In a follow-on Dec. 1 poll among 212 physicians on Sermo’s global social platform, doctors believe healthcare workers should be the first to get the vaccine once it becomes available followed by other frontline workers. This is in alignment with recommendations made the same day by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which decided that health workers and residents of long-term care facilities should receive the vaccine first. ACIP’s recommendation will need to be approved by the director of the CDC before it becomes official policy.

“We need the hospital personnel to go first because they care for the sick and we cannot afford to lose them,” said Dr. Anne Kiltinen, an anesthesiologist practicing in New York. “And when I say hospital personnel, I mean the nursing staff and hospital personnel, not me. I am a senior attending and my contact with patients is limited, so I can wait. We also need public information campaigns. We’ve seen that some patients are concerned about safety and effectiveness.”

The Real Time Barometer also found that the majority of physicians believe that during this critical time, it is imperative that the U.S. participate in the World Health Organization. Of all respondents, 68 percent said that it was very important and 16 percent said it was somewhat important for the U.S. to be part of the global organization.

Most physicians were also anticipating that their communities would endure another lockdown soon, with 37 percent saying it was very likely and 40 percent saying it was somewhat likely.

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 60,800 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo is the world leader in turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million physicians across 150 countries, the company offers a unique physician-first online community that allows clinicians to communicate about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo uses a suite of proprietary, technology-enabled tools, so that they are able to cultivate a deep understanding of healthcare provider perceptions that can benefit pharmaceutical, healthcare partners and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit https://www.sermo.com/business/.

For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Lora Grassilli 

646.932.3735

lora@rjcomms.com 

New York – September 24, 2020 – Week 14 of Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer survey revealed that 92 percent of physicians in the United States are recommending that patients get their annual flu shot as soon as possible in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In New York and California, the number of physicians recommending a flu shot immediately jumps to 96 percent and 94 percent, respectively.

While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traditionally recommends patients receive a flu shot by the end of October to help combat the virus during flu season, almost all (85%) of the 2,400+ Sermo doctors surveyed from September 17-20 across 31 countries are encouraging their patients to receive a flu shot immediately.

“Each year, the flu sickens millions and hospitalizes hundreds of thousands of people during the fall and winter months. The elderly are especially hard hit every year,” said Peter Kirk, Sermo CEO. “While physicians always recommend flu shots, the fact that almost all are recommending that patients receive a vaccine sooner rather than later shows just how concerned they are about the potential for flu to deplete valuable resources in the middle of this historic pandemic.” 

The survey also found that physicians, like everyone else, are already planning on either eliminating or sharply curtailing travel plans during the holiday season because of COVID-19. Worldwide, 68 percent of physicians said that their holiday travel plans are ‘significantly impacted’ by the pandemic. Overall, in the U.S., 66 percent of physicians said they didn’t plan to travel with their families, but those numbers jumped to 83 percent and 70 percent in New York and California, respectively. 

Other findings from the survey include:

• As many as 65 percent of physicians worldwide indicated that they had ordered a COVID-19 test for a patient while 42 percent said they have treated a patient for COVID-19. 
• In the U.S., 70 percent of physicians have ordered a COVID-19 test while 44 percent said they have treated a patient for the illness. 
• In New York, the numbers increase to 76 percent and 47 percent, respectively. In California, the percentage of physicians ordering tests mirror those nationwide.

The numbers follow the belief physicians have that a second surge of COVID-19 cases is on the horizon. Globally, 93 percent of physicians expect a second wave of cases as the Northern Hemisphere enters the fall and winter months, and people spend more time indoors.

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 60,800 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1.3MM healthcare professionals across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Lora Grassilli 

646.932.3737

lora@rjcomms.com 

New York – June 23, 2020 – Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer survey, conducted with nearly 4,000 physicians across 31 countries from June 10-12, reveals 81% of physicians in the United States believe a second wave of COVID-19 – defined as “a sharp increase in cases after achieving extended periods of low growth rates” – is likely to occur. Sixty-two percent of physicians in other countries, such as France, Korea and Australia, feel a second wave is likely.

Complete survey data and methodology can be found here. 

“I feel certain there will be a second wave of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths, particularly in areas that have overly relaxed social distancing and mask wearing in a rushed attempt to return to ‘normalcy’,” said David Karpf, MD, endocrinologist at Stanford Health Care. 

Some Sermo members expressed concern a second wave could occur in the late fall or winter and be compounded by influenza, common respiratory viruses and other seasonal viruses. 

When asked about preparedness for a second wave, only one-third (34%) of global physicians reported they expect their state or region of their country would be prepared, and a quarter (26%) are not confident lessons learned would be fully applied to a second spike. 

Are we prepared locally?

• In California, where new cases are increasing, 87% of doctors surveyed feel a second wave is likely, yet only 39% are highly confident their state will fully apply past learnings.
• In Illinois, where strict guidelines have been in place since mid-March and residents are preparing to enter phase 4 later this week, 75% of doctors feel a second wave is likely. Only 10% of Illinois physicians surveyed are extremely confident the state will fully apply what was learned in wave one to wave two.
• In New York, once the epicenter of the outbreak, 76% of doctors surveyed expect to experience a second wave, and more than half (51%) have confidence in how people would handle it.

How are physicians holding up?

The return to some level of normalcy is a complex process that requires balancing the risk of infection and transmission with the physical and mental effects of isolating, canceling summer camps, shuttering schools, continuing the work from home practice, and more.

As the general public has experienced an increase in anxiety over finances, health, safety, relationships and other issues, physicians are enduring their own professional stressors. Among physicians who have experienced more stress than usual in the past week, Sermo found:

• 63% attributed the increase to implementing new processes to see patients in the office.
• 58% attributed it to financial concerns (whereas 38% of doctors in the rest of the world feel their increased stress is due to finances). 
• 36% attributed it to uncertainty about how to treat COVID-19.

“Our data reflects the voice of physicians worldwide, and in this recent wave, we hear their concern about possible peaks, second waves and preparedness,” said Peter Kirk, Sermo CEO. “Physicians stress the importance of remaining vigilant against the coronavirus otherwise many countries will find themselves back to square one.” 

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted 55,280 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia.

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1.3MM healthcare professionals across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Beth Richman

312-806-8999

Bethrichman1@gmail.com

New York – June 11, 2020 – Since late March, healthcare data collection company and social platform for doctors, Sermo, has been surveying physicians worldwide about their experiences and perceptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer, more than 51,300 surveys completed by physicians across 31 countries have reported their treatment strategies and opinions on safety and efficacy to provide a longitudinal view of frontline treatment patterns.

Sermo has found doctors are navigating the treatment landscape with uncertainty and minimal confidence in future developments. When asked about the progress made by the scientific and medical communities in managing COVID-19, only 7% of physicians rated them as doing an “excellent” job developing new drugs and only 10% felt they are doing an “excellent” job developing new treatment regimens. 

Through an analysis of seven weeks of data (April 14 to May 26), Sermo has identified COVID-19 treatment trends:

• Globally, there has been a consistent decline in hydroxychloroquine usage (61% to 34%) and a steady increase in remdesivir usage (15% to 30%), yet many physicians feel neither drug is “highly effective” in treating COVID-19. 

• With critical COVID-19 patients in an ICU setting, the treatment strategies doctors worldwide have consistently and most often used include: oxygen (69%), anti-coagulants (51%), steroids (45%) and remdesivir (45%).

• In the U.S., hydroxychloroquine usage for COVID-19 decreased significantly from 56% to 23% over a seven week period. Usage in other countries has also declined; hydroxychloroquine usage dipped from 63% to 41%. 

• Increased confidence in remdesivir and a better understanding of who benefits most from the drug have helped drive usage; 62% of U.S. physicians surveyed reported using remdesivir in the ICU during the week of May 26. In contrast, 8% of U.S. doctors treating mild or moderate cases in a community setting were turning to this medication.  

“Through our Barometer, we have consistently gathered a significant sample of physician observations about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic,” explained Peter Kirk, Sermo CEO. “The physicians’ attitudes and behaviors shared over the past few months are being reinforced now as clinical and industry data begin to emerge. It’s important to recognize that as states continue to ease restrictions and we experience a possible second wave, our healthcare professionals still need better treatments they believe are safe and effective for COVID-19 and can be applied universally.”  

When the novel coronavirus outbreak began, there weren’t any drugs clinically proven to be safe and effective for COVID-19, as it was a new disease. Although research studies are underway, this remains true. 

Sermo surveys show doctors are getting the most relevant COVID-19 information from medical societies, government agencies, physician networks and colleagues. In the absence of approved drugs for COVID-19, this input is helping inform their treatment strategies. Although U.S. healthcare professionals now have a reliable resource in the National Institutes of Health’s treatment guidelines, these do not provide many new prevention or treatment options. 

“I have not had problems with hydroxychloroquine in 38 years of practice, but of course, I have been using it to treat inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, not COVID-19.” said Thomas Namey, MD, rheumatologist in Knoxville, Tennessee. “I believe the drug will not benefit COVID-19 patients, but it may have significant benefits when used in a prophylactic measure.”

About the COVID-19 Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience of treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted 51,300 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia.

For more information about the Real Time Barometer, including results and methodology, visit sermo.com. 

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM healthcare professionals across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Angela Crawford

201-417-9157

Azito35@gmail.com

New York – June 4, 2020 – In Week 10 (May 22 to May 24) of Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time  Barometer, an ongoing opinion survey of thousands of physicians worldwide, respondents shared experiences treating multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). According to the Barometer, in the past three months, 12% of physicians (N = 4,154) saw at least one child age 12 and under with suspected MIS-C, and among those doctors (N = 506), nearly half (49%) saw young patients with possible MIS-C in just the past week. Complete data published to date and study methodology can be found here. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with MIS-C, different body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs, can become inflamed. Although the cause is unknown, it is believed many children with MIS-C had coronavirus or had been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Suspected cases of MIS-C should be referred immediately to a tertiary care center.

“Our survey shows physicians in the United Kingdom, China, Germany, and other parts of the world have been seeing a higher frequency of MIS-C than we have in the U.S.,” said Peter Kirk, CEO of Sermo. 

Based on experiences in other countries, it’s possible we could see a surge among American children, particularly as activities reopen and families return to socializing.

Recently the CDC provided the following diagnostic criteria for MIS-C: fever of at least 100.4 degrees for at least 24 hours; confirmed evidence of inflammation; need for hospitalization; problems with at least two organs (i.e., lungs, heart or kidneys); and no alternative plausible diagnoses. The patient also must test positive for the coronavirus or its antibodies, or have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last four weeks. Other reported symptoms include vomiting, upset stomach, red eyes, diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes and a rash.  

Most children diagnosed with the condition have improved with medical care; however, according to the survey, doctors are using a wide range of treatments to manage MIS-C, with no one particular approach being substantially more common. Also, few are utilizing common treatments for adult COVID-19 patients, such as Remdesivir and plasma. 

MIS-C can be serious, even deadly. Sermo found 41% of physicians who had seen young MIS-C patients reported they progressed to life threatening symptoms. Furthermore, 29% of these same physicians have seen young patients die. 

Physicians are noting the condition with higher frequency in certain U.S. cities, and state health departments are slowly documenting an increase in MIS-C cases. 

Children should continue wearing masks, practice social distancing, and interact with peers outside, whenever possible, and parents should be on the lookout for signs of infection, such as fever, inflammation and exposure to people who have COVID-19.

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience of treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, 51,300 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia, have participated in the Barometer.

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM healthcare professionals across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Angela Crawford

201-417-9157

Azito35@gmail.com

New York – May 29, 2020 – Week 9 (May 17 to 19) results from Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer with 4,193 physicians reveal COVID-19 treatment patterns among frontline physicians. In total, Sermo’s Barometer study includes over 49,000 survey interviews in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Complete data published to date and study methodology can be found here. 

Universal medical guidelines on COVID-19 and ventilation strategies have not been written or widely adopted yet. Despite the learning that early intubation was often unnecessary and potentially lethal to patients (with ventilator-related mortality rates documented up to 88%)¹, many hospitals still have not changed their protocols. One possible reason is that the overwhelming majority of physicians believe non-invasive oxygen therapies put hospital staff and other patients at risk by aerosolizing the virus. 

Initially, physicians treated COVID-19 as they would any other virus-induced pneumonia. Patients quickly developed breathing difficulties, treatment protocols were created on the fly, and rapid intubation was encouraged based on older guidelines. Panicked, governments purchased a surplus of very expensive ventilators and the U.S. president invoked the Defense Production Act to compel automotive companies to manufacture ventilators. 

• This week (week 9) in Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer, 72% of all doctors (base= 4193) and 80% of hospital physicians treating COVID-19  (base= 764) believe non-invasive ventilation aerosolizes the virus and increases the risk of infection to themselves, other healthcare professionals and patients.

Non-invasive oxygenation devices are inexpensive and widely available. They include 

heated high flow oxygen delivered via a face mask or nasal cannulas, sleep apnea machines such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP). CPAPs and BiPAPs work via a tube into a face mask, as opposed to invasive ventilation, which includes a tube placed deep in a patient’s throat while they are sedated, posing a much higher risk to the patient. 

“At the outset of the pandemic, there were worldwide concerns about a shortage of ventilators. Non-invasive oxygen therapies, like CPAP and BiPAPs were and still are associated with an increased risk of virus transmission, and therefore many hospitals are still moving directly to invasive ventilation. If properly protected, physicians shouldn’t fear using these devices and should absolutely delay ventilation,” said Dr. Mark Rumbak, Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of South Florida.

According to a recent study, non-invasive ventilation techniques were proven to be droplet (not aerosol)-generating procedures, producing droplets of > 10 µm in size. Due to their large mass, most fall onto local surfaces within 1 meter. 

Gradually, the medical community began to see marked differences in the pathophysiology of the disease versus other known virus pneumonias, and in patient response. Physicians made a startling observation; many COVID-19 patients had blood oxygen levels so low they should have been either dead, gasping for air, or experiencing racing heartbeats from the lack of oxygen. Eventually, the medical community learned patients could tolerate these lower levels of oxygen.

“Oxygen blood levels have typically driven decisions about breathing support and intubation, but with COVID-19 they might be misleading. Additionally, many physicians are realizing respiratory failure of COVID-19 should be treated differently from routine Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). It’s imperative to communicate that more patients could receive simpler, noninvasive oxygen support. These strategies should be used in the beginning of breathing difficulties and can even be used for the duration of the illness,” said Dr. Rumbak.

However, many physicians feel ventilators are still being used too quickly by their hospitals.   

• In a May 4 Sermo survey, 47% of COVID-19 treating physicians agreed, “we are currently using ventilators too rapidly on patients and we should delay their use as much as possible trying all forms of oxygen therapy initially.” (N=1100 Covid treaters).

In this study, physicians also disagreed about whether they were seeing typical ARDS or a new phenomenon. In week 9 of the Barometer, the number of physicians believing ventilation was occurring too rapidly dropped to 34%, indicating intubations were being slowed down, but were still significantly “too rapid.” 

Recently, several leading medical organizations have recommended delaying intubation and using non-invasive ventilation first. The NIH issued new guidelines advocating a phased approach to breathing support that defers the use of ventilators. 

The Shanghai guidelines and The Lancet also recommend a similar approach, however, hospitals around the world are not adopting these strategies universally or quickly enough, and each hospital can decide themselves how to treat COVID-19 respiratory failure. 

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience of treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, more than 49,000 doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia have participated in the Barometer.

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM healthcare professionals across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Angela Crawford

201-417-9157

Azito35@gmail.com

1.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2765184?guestAccessKey=906e474e-0b94-4e0e-8eaa-606ddf0224f5

New York – May 21, 2020 – Week 8 (May 11 to 13) results from Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer with 4,756 physicians reveal COVID-19 treatment patterns among frontline physicians. In total, Sermo’s Barometer study includes over 42,900 survey interviews in 31 countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Complete data published to date and study methodology can be found here. 

*Results provide physician observations, but are not a substitute for official medical guidelines or clinical trials. 

Remdesivir Usage is Growing, Particularly in the ICU

• Overall, 25% of global physicians report using Remdesivir, up from 15% in mid-April. 
• Usage in the United States is higher vs ‘rest of world; 29% vs 21%. 
• In the US, the share of physicians using Remdesivir (29%) has increased by two-thirds since mid-April (at 17%) and currently nearly half (44%) of US physicians treating critical patients in ICU have used Remdesivir, an increase from 25% in mid-April.

The Earlier the Better with Remdesivir, but this Contradicts Official Indication 

The current official indication for Remdesivir is for severe COVID-19. However, two-thirds (67%) of physicians believe Remdesivir is best administered earlier, for all moderate patients in the hospital before their symptoms become severe. Over three-quarters (77%) of physicians express confusion with the official indication. 

Surveyed physicians shared:

• “The official indication appears to exclude the period in which it would theoretically be most effective, during virus replication, i.e., the early stages of infection prior to clinical decompensation.”
• “​All viral infections need to be treated earlier, at the onset, not later, when complicated.”
• “I’m not sure if we have to wait for respiratory failure in order to begin treatment, or can we start it sooner to prevent progression?”
• “​If we wait too long to use it, the patient becomes too critical, and we can’t overcome the illness.”

Remdesivir Seen as Only Moderately Effective 

As they develop a better understanding of the virus and the drug, physicians rating Remdesivir reveal an evolving perception of the treatment and are reaching a common agreement on the moderate effectiveness of Remdesivir.

Global Physicians’ Overall Perceived Effectiveness of Remdesivir

Nearly half of global physicians (48%) rate Remdesivir as moderately effective.  As we examine the trend since mid-April, we note the perception of Remdesivir being moderately effective has increased from 37% to 48%, while the perceptions of it being highly effective and ineffective have decreased.

US Doctors aren’t Fully Bought In to Remdesivir

A similar trend is seen in the US, where more where more physicians are using Remdesivir and more are seeing the treatment as moderately effective; however, they have a less positive view of Remdesivir than physicians around the world. The impression of Remdesivir having lower efficacy is higher in the US vs internationally. Only 18% of US physicians rate it as highly effective vs 25% of physicians in other countries. 

Perceived Efficacy and Safety of Various Treatments

For the past five consecutive weeks, roughly half of global physicians surveyed have stated they perceive Plasma to be the most highly effective and safe treatment for COVID-19. 

This week perceptions of Remdesivir’s safety and efficacy remain the same, with only 25% of global physicians finding it highly effective. 

Efficacy and safety perceptions of Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir are quite similar. Our data shows that physicians perceive both Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir to be more effective earlier in the disease progression. 

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience of treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, more than 43,000 doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia, have participated in the Barometer.

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM healthcare professionals across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Angela Crawford

201-417-9157

Azito35@gmail.com

NEW YORK— May 14, 2020 —The United States has performed over 9.9 million molecular tests for COVID-19 to date. The ability to accurately test and trace new infections is critical for reopening the country. Experts believe easing restrictions before testing becomes more accurate and accessible could lead to a new surge of infections. 

Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer, an international weekly poll including more than 40,000 interviews with physicians in 31 countries, explores a variety of COVID-19 themes. In week 7, perspectives around false negatives and re-infection rates were explored. The survey included 4,476 physicians and was conducted May 3 – 5, 2020. Complete study data and methodology can be found here. 

False Negatives

• 85% of physicians surveyed state they have seen some degree of false negative test results. 
• 96% of “Supertreaters” in an ICU setting – highly experienced physicians who have treated over 20 COVID-19 patients – believe they have seen COVID-19 tests produce a false negative. 
• 37% of physicians in the hospital consider more than 20% of the tests have produced false negatives.

False Positives

• Conversely, 41% of physicians reported seeing at least one false positive where someone who does not have the virus tests positive. 

These inaccuracies present challenges to understanding the pandemic, controlling the spread of the disease, preventing re-infections and ultimately reopening economies.

It has been hypothesized the reasons COVID-19 tests may be unreliable and often present false negatives are inadequate or faulty sample collection (swabbing technique), timing of sample collection, test sensitivity, test design and shortages of reagents needed to start up and run the tests. Any one of these can create a false negative test.

Test manufacturers as well as leading health organizations, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have not confirmed how common false negatives are. While the FDA requires manufacturers to report any known instances of false negatives as a condition of granting provisional approval, no such reports are available from the agency. 

Re-Infection Phenomenon

According to the World Health Organization, “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection;” however, some experts feel immunity to the virus is not yet fully understood.    

As immune response is investigated, physicians on the frontlines are seeing patients being re-infected shortly after they recover from COVID-19. 

• In fact, 9% of worldwide physicians polled by Sermo believe they have seen a patient with a re-infection. 
• Perceived re-infection rates vary widely among countries; only 5% of U.S. doctors report seeing re-infection versus 15% internationally. 
  • For example, in Italy and Spain, 15% of physicians have encountered re-infected patients, and in China, 14% of those surveyed saw re-infections.

The cause(s) of reinfection are unclear, but may be due to:

• Inaccurate tests: initially, a patient might have received a false negative or when re-infected, might have experienced a false positive;
• Reactivation of the virus or a patient had not fully recovered from the disease; 
• Patient engaged in new or repeated contact with an infected person.

Respondents in Sermo’s Barometer shared:

“We saw a patient who was treated with remdesevir and tocilizumab. He was resolved and then somehow re-infected. We did not find the cause of the re-infection.”

“Either the patients are re-infected or the follow-up tests were false negative followed by true positive.” 

“I treated a young patient with mild COVID-19 and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) symptoms who was admitted to the hospital and then released. This individual returned five weeks later with severe unilateral PCR and pneumonia.” 

These cases demonstrate an uncertainty of disease persistence or actual re-infection.

As tests are improved and more accessible, physicians will begin to feel confident screening patients prior to medical procedures and surgeries that have been postponed during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Physicians feel the following patients should require COVID-19 pre-screening before an office visit or procedure: 

• 78% said transplant patients 
• 72% said chemotherapy patients 
• 67% said dialysis patients
• 59% said outpatient surgery centers  
• 53% said dental 
• 47% said vision 
• 41% said regular outpatients (ENT, family practice, GI, internal medicine, nephrology, OBGYN)

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience of treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, more than 40,000 doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia, have participated in the Barometer. 

About Sermo 

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM healthcare professionals across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com. 

Media Contact:

Angela Crawford

201-417-9157

Azito35@gmail.com

New York – May 7, 2020 – Week 6 results from Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer with 6,150 physicians reveals COVID-19 treatment patterns among frontline physicians. In total, Sermo’s Barometer study includes over 33,700 survey interviews in 31 countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Complete data published to date and study methodology can be found here. 

Evaluations of COVID-19 treatments demonstrate that physicians have yet to find a universally effective solution; no treatment achieves a majority of physicians rating it as highly effective, with most garnering between 16% to 37% highly effective scores. The one exception is Plasma, which finds 45% of physicians rating it as highly effective. Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquine are perceived as almost equally safe and effective. 

Further evaluations of safety reveal additional challenges, as most physicians view commonly used treatments as not highly safe; though, we suspect safety of approved drugs is lower in the context of COVID-19 complications and comorbidities. Plasma and Gamma Globulin stand out, as over half of physicians rate them as highly safe. 

Remdesivir and other antivirals

• Overall usage: Globally, 21% of physicians report having used Remdesivir, with a larger share of physicians (27%) using it within the ICU as opposed to just 9% of physicians using Remdesivir among mild patients.  
• Geographic usage: 23% of physicians report using Remdesivir in the U.S., which is less than in Italy (31%), China (30%) and Germany (29%). 
• Usage over time: The share of physicians using Remdesivir has nearly doubled from Week 1 to Week 6, rising from 12% the week of March 25 to 21% the week of April 28.  
• Efficacy: Overall, 29% of physicians feel that Remdesivir is highly effective.This level remains consistent across settings (mild outside hospital/moderate-severe inside hospital/critical in the ICU). 
  • COVID-19 Supertreaters (highly experienced physicians who have treated 20+ COVID patients) feel it’s even less effective – only 18% of doctors feel it’s highly effective.
  • One interesting point is that a significantly lower share of physicians perceive Remdesivir as less “highly effective” in the US (18%) vs the rest of the world (30%).
• Safety: Only 31% of physicians feel Remdesivir is highly safe. 

Notes on other antivirals: 

• Favipiravir is generally felt to be as effective and as safe as Remdesivir, however, only 7% of physicians report having used it.
• Acyclovir: Overall, only 7% of physicians have reported using it, with 13% rating it as highly effective (though 30% of physicians in the ICU consider it highly effective); Acyclovir has a higher perceived safety profile (35% feel it to be highly safe). 
• Anti-HIV drugs (e.g. Lopinavir plus Ritonavir – Kaletra): 22% of physicians report using them globally, 16% rate them as highly effective, and 25% rate them as highly safe. Usage has declined from 30% (Week 4) to 23% (Week 5) to 22% (Week 6). Efficacy has also trended downward (23% to 17% to 16% in the last 3 weeks).
• Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is used by 14% of physicians globally. Only 18% of physicians feel it to be highly effective, and they also rated Tamilfu as the one of safest drugs (58% rate it as highly effective). 

Plasma and  Gamma Globulin

• Overall usage: 16% of physicians report having used Plasma. 
• Usage over time: Plasma usage has almost tripled with a 10 point increase since Week 1 and a 4 point since last week. Plasma usage in the ICU has grown the most, showing a close to 60% increase (16% in week 4 to 25% in week 6). 
• Geographic usage: Usage is higher in the U.S. (22%) vs the rest of the world (14%) (~50% more physicians using in the U.S. vs globally).
• Efficacy: Overall, 45% of physicians feel that it is highly effective, and the results are consistent across settings (mild outside hospital/moderate-severe inside hospital/critical in the ICU).  
• Safety: Plasma is still rated as one of the safest treatment alternatives with 52% of physicians rating it as highly safe. 

“Convalescent plasma would be useful in certain stages of the disease, less so in others. It certainly has more scientific basis and potential than most of the options that have been loosely tested under anything but controlled conditions.” Sermo member, Emergency Medicine Physician, United States  

Gamma Globulin is a protein fraction of blood plasma that responds to stimulation of antigens, as bacteria or viruses, by forming antibodies. It’s administered therapeutically in the treatment of some viral diseases.

• Gamma Globulin is starting to see the same usage trajectory as well as safety and efficacy perceptions as have been seen with plasma over the past three weeks. (7% in week 4, 6% in week 5 and 16% in week 6)
• 34% of physicians feel Gamma Globulin is highly effective (compared with 44% for plasma) and 50% felt Gamma Globulin to be highly safe as compared to 52% for plasma. 

Tocilizumab 

• Overall usage: 25% of physicians report using Tocilizumab, with higher usage seen in the ICU (34%). 
• Usage over time: We see a 6-point increase in usage over the last two weeks. Usage has been increasing gradually with 19% of physicians having used Tocilizumab in Week 4, vs 25% in Week 6.
• Efficacy: Overall 37% of physicians feel that Tocilizumab is highly effective.
• Geographic usage: Usage in the U.S. is lower than around the globe, with 17% of physicians reporting they use it in the U.S. vs. 28% internationally. Physicians in Italy and Spain had the highest reported usage.
• Safety: 31% of Physicians rate Tocilizumab to be highly safe. 

Hydroxychloroquine

• Overall usage: In Week 6, Hydroxychloroquine is still the most widely used drug following Azithromycin. 
  • Globally 55% of physicians report using Hydroxychloroquine. Its use in various settings breaks down as follows: 37% of physicians prescribe it outside the hospital for mild cases, 59% for moderate cases when patients get into the hospital, and 50% in the ICU. 
• Usage over time: We see a 22-point increase in use from Week 1. Usage from Week 1 to Week 6 has increased significantly with 33% of physicians having used Hydroxychloroquine in Week 1 vs. 55% in Week 6.
• Geographic usage: Usage around the world varies widely; in the U.S., 46% of physicians report using it; that is significantly lower than other countries such as Italy (83%), Spain (78%), Mexico (76%), Brazil (85%), and China (62%). Usage in Great Britain is much lower at 19% and Germany at 13%.
• Efficacy: Globally 27% of physicians feel that it is highly effective. However, it is felt to be more effective outside of the hospital in mild-symptom patients (32%). This trend follows what we see in usage (higher usage in mild patients).Efficacy perceptions for Hydroxychloroquine were higher in Week 1,where physicians perceived it as the most highly effective drug.
• Safety: Despite being ranked as one of the least safe drugs (29% of physicians rated it as highly safe), it is still widely used. 

Ideal vs. actual usage

A significant finding was that not all hospitals have access to all treatments they would like to use. We asked physicians which treatments they would use if they had access to any treatment – and the two treatments we saw clear demand for were Remdesivir and Plasma. 

Overall, 41% of physicians would use plasma if it was an option – a significant 25% gap from the 16% who currently use it. The gap is exceptionally large among physicians treating patients in the ICU – 52% would use plasma if available, while just 25% are actually using it.

Remdesivir has a similar “demand gap,” with 39% of physicians saying they would prescribe Remdesivir (compared to 21% currently doing so). The gap is widest among physicians treating moderate/severe patients in the hospital, with 34% saying they would like to use it, compared to 16% that actually use it.

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM HCPs across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.

Media Contact:

Brooke Matthews

sermo@clarity.pr

805-252-5483

New York – May 4, 2020 – This week, results from Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer with over 5,900 physicians explored whether COVID 19 was a new type of disease, the controversial use of ventilators, as well as the new protocols that could change the way physicians treat COVID-19. In total, Sermo’s Barometer study includes over 27,000 survey interviews in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. All data published to date and study methodology can be found here. 

Knowledge of COVID-19 and the optimal treatment approach is evolving, and some voices on the front lines have relayed they are charting unfamiliar territory and broadcasting concerns over treatment approaches, particularly the use of ventilators. The statistics around the much sought after breathing device are sobering. In NY, up to 88% of those placed on ventilators died (1). “Panic buying of ventilators” and competition among states to procure ventilators was intense at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Dr. Cameron Kyle-Sidell, a New York-based ER and critical care physician widely broadcast a compelling message on YouTube, “we are treating the wrong disease.” (2) We wanted to further probe his theory and formulated structured questions which were later taken to thousands of international physicians on the front lines.

“Nine days ago I opened an intensive care unit to care for the sickest COVID patients. In these 9 days I’ve seen things I’ve never seen before. I presumed I was opening an ICU to treat patients with a virus causing pneumonia that started out mild –– and progressed in severity ultimately ending in acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS. ARDS is the disease that every hospital is preparing to treat. And for which many patients might be put on a ventilator. And yet, everything I’ve seen in the last 9 days just doesn’t make sense…I believe we are treating the wrong disease. COVID-19 lung disease…is not a pneumonia and should not be treated as one. Rather, it appears as if it’s some kind of viral-induced disease most resembling high altitude sickness…as if (patients) are on a plane at 30,000 feet and the cabin pressure is slowly being let out. These patients are being starved of oxygen…they eventually get blue in the face, and while they look like patients on the brink of death, they do not look like patients dying of pneumonia…they look more like (they were) dropped off at the top of Mount Everest without time to acclimate.” 

“I don’t know the final answer to this disease but I’m quite sure that a ventilator is not it. That is not to say that we don’t need ventilators, they are the only way at this time that we are able to give a little more oxygen to patients who need it. But when we treat ARDS, we typically use ventilators to treat respiratory failure, the ventilator does the work that the patients’ muscles can no longer do because they are too tired. These patients’ muscles work fine. I fear that if we are using a false paradigm to treat a new disease that the method that we program the ventilator, one based on a notion of respiratory failure as opposed to oxygen failure, (and there are a great many number of methods we can use with the ventilator), a method being widely adopted in every hospital in the country which aims to increase pressure on the lungs in order to open them up, is actually doing more harm than good…the pressure we are providing to lungs, may not be able to take it, and that the ARDS that we are seeing, may be nothing more than lung injury caused by the ventilator. Now, I don’t know the final answer to this disease. I do sense that we will have to use ventilators, but in a safer way. That safer method challenges long-held dogmatic beliefs within the medical community and among lung specialists which will not be easy to overcome.” 

In our analysis of results from this past week, we focused on the responses from all physicians treating COVID as well as “COVID Supertreaters in the ICU” (physicians who have treated over 20 COVID-19 patients) and presumably would have the most educated opinions on the matter.

Using ventilation too rapidly?

Do you believe we are currently using ventilators too rapidly on patients and that we should delay their use as much as possible trying all forms of oxygen therapy initially?

• From the perspective of COVID-19 Supertreaters in the ICU (physicians who treat over 20 COVID-19 patients) and presumably would have the most experience with ventilators, 48% agreed and 52% disagreed. (n=108 COVID Supertreaters) 

• Among all COVID-19 treating physicians in the study who expressed an opinion (n=1,100), 47% agreed and 53% disagreed

“My theory on the split in opinions is that in the beginning of this outbreak, patients were coming in and deteriorating so rapidly that healthcare providers were rushing to help patients breathe in whatever way we could,” said Dr. Mark Rumbak, Sermo physician and pulmonologist. “We are starting to rethink this.”

Does COVID-19 result in typical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)?

Do you believe severe COVID-19 is more of a “respiratory failure disease” resulting in ARDS and necessitating ventilation support or a more of an “oxygen failure” disease necessitating oxygen therapy (with ventilation as a last resort)?

• Among Supertreaters in the ICU, we had an equal split of opinions: 50% believed in the oxygen failure approach vs. 50% respiratory failure (n=118 COVID-19 Supertreaters).

• Again, among all COVID treating physicians in the study who expressed an opinion (n=1,261), 47% believed in the oxygen failure approach vs. 53% respiratory failure.

The two are results related; 63% of physicians who believed COVID-19 to be more of an oxygen failure disease also believed we are using ventilators too rapidly. 

“What’s highly significant here is that there should be almost unanimous opinion on these topics as we have accepted guidelines for what works and doesn’t with respect to Acute Respiratory distress Syndrome (ARDS). If this is not ARDS the treatment may be completely different. In the case of ARDS we need high Peep and low Fio2, if it’s not ARDS, we need the opposite approach,” said Dr. Rumbak. “Additionally, ARDS has specific histological results. There have been no biopsy results (acutely or post mortem) published as yet. This may be because hospital departments have been closed down for most except COVID-19. If they do publish, we will know what type of respiratory failure this is.”

Anonymous pulmonologist Sermo member “It could be a mix of both, perhaps we need to treat that oxygen failure much earlier, more rapidly and with diverse oxygen therapies.”

How many succeed on ARDS treatments?

In what percent of patient cases with COVID-19 and severe hypoxia does COVID-19 respond to regular ARDS treatments like intubation, high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), lower fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2)?

Only 17% of physicians felt that the majority of patients (60% – 100%) respond to ARDS strategies.

So what’s the alternative?

We explored other treatments and drugs that could be used to improve oxygenation/ delay intubation. Again, we report on COVID Supertreaters in the ICU.  

If you believe oxygen is necessary for COVID-19 induced hypoxia, which treatments or drugs do you believe may be helpful in improving oxygenation and delaying intubation?

There are alternative oxygen therapies that aren’t standard protocol for COVID-19 patients but are starting to see some use. The ECMO machine (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), also known as extracorporeal life support, is an extracorporeal technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube and is a well-established treatment for decompression sickness from scuba diving, serious infections, bubbles of air in the blood vessels and non-healing wounds resulting from diabetes or radiation.

“ECMO is an alternative and is used when P/F ratio drops below 80. Although there are less ECMO machines than ventilators they will decrease the amount of ventilators used. Some patients can be extubated while on ECMO and the ventilators used on other patients. ECMO may save lives. ECMO machines are the same machines used in cardiac surgery. As most routine cardiac surgical cases are not being performed due to COVID, they can be used in the ICU. Perhaps we could also use hyperbaric chambers although there are not too many of these. We could try to increase their supply. Some have suggested using the many idle airplanes we have and pressurizing the cabins produce “hyperbaric” oxygen. Many patients can be treated in one plane safely,” said Dr. Rumbak.

How helpful would each of these be as alternative oxygen therapies?

Highly Helpful” (Very/Extremely Helpful) Among COVID Treaters:

“Highly Helpful” (Very/Extremely Helpful) Among COVID Supertreaters in the ICU:

A new protocol to delay ventilation? 

We asked the physicians who felt COVID-19 is more of an oxygen failure issue to build a protocol where they ordered eight different oxygen strategies presented in order of priority to delay intubation. We asked physicians to place these strategies in order of what would be the best protocol to use after ruling out all other causes of hypoxia (heart failure, blood clot, cirrhosis, collapsed lung, shunts heart damage). 

Overall this was the order of top priority for the following strategies, however, this doesn’t necessarily reflect the order of administration as some treatments would be administered in combination.

• Use nasal oxygen 1-6L per minute 
• Pronate for better oxygenation
• Heated high flow nasal cannula 60-80 l/m
• Use Cpap with oxygen/use Bipap machine
• Add any of the following treatments to Cpap/Bipap/heated high flow, or non invasive ventilation to improve lung function: inhaled nitric oxide, Flolan (epoprostenol), steroids,  plus Vitamin C 
• Non-invasive ventilation (ventilator with Bipap mask) 

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2765184?guestAccessKey=906e474e-0b94-4e0e-8eaa-606ddf0224f5

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq6YEYfn2zw&feature=youtu.be

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest healthcare data collection company and social platform for physicians, reaching 1,3MM HCPs across 150 countries. The platform enables doctors to anonymously talk real-world medicine, review treatment options via our proprietary Drug Ratings platform, collectively solve patient cases, and participate in medical market research. For more information, visit sermo.com.