Journals and other sources of information having to do with "practice management" are reportedly of little interest to most practitioners, since increasing numbers of doctors are associated with group practices large enough to employ business managers.

Journals, books, and other sources of information that focus on "pure science" are also of little interest to most practitioners, constituting what one of our respondents referred to as "coffee table reading," i.e., information to be consumed in the unlikely event that spare time is available.

Promotional information provided in the form of detailing, e-detailing, dinner meetings, etc., is reported by many of our respondents to be of questionable value due to obvious commercial biases. They are also less frequent now that the PhRMA guidelines preclude the sort of lavish entertainment, trips, gifts, and honoraria that the industry traditionally built into such events.