Use of Personal Digital Assistants in Pharmaceutical Detailing: Perceptions of Sales Representatives

Abstract

This study explores the perceptions of pharmaceutical sales representatives toward the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in pharmaceutical detailing. It uses data from a survey of sales representatives at a large pharmaceutical company that has adopted a PDA system for use in pharmaceutical detailing. The study identifies the specific features that sales representatives require of the PDA system for pharmaceutical detailing tasks and assesses the capabilities of the PDA system with respect to those features. Given the importance of user perceptions in the process of PDA adoption and implementation, the findings will prove helpful to those who use or plan to use PDAs in pharmaceutical detailing.