Barry Friedberg, MD (DrFriedberg.com) Adds New "Physician's Only" Channel to Mark One-year Anniversary; Logs 14,000 Global Visitors

BUSINESS EDITORS/HEALTH, MEDICAL & TECHNOLOGY WRITERS

CORONA DEL MAR, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 2002 --Responding to an unquestioned quantum leap of physician Internet adoption, Barry L. Friedberg, MD, nationally recognized for his innovative cosmetic anesthesia techniques(a), announced today that a new Physicians Only channel has been added to mark the one-year anniversary of www.doctorfriedberg.com -- a consumer friendly web site for the discriminating patient seeking cosmetic surgery anesthesia options. More than 14,000 global visitors have "stopped by" to gain personal perspective on the anesthesia options available to them, and to learn more about what their surgeon may not know to tell them.

Said Dr. Friedberg, "It is imperative that consumers know their options, and know the right questions to ask their surgeons prior to electing cosmetic surgery. Visitors' feedback from the site has demonstrated that many consumers tell their physicians about the site, and although this site is intended to help empower consumers, I am increasingly receiving feedback from physician visitors who confirm that they are made aware of this site from their patients!"

One factor leading to the increased physician visitor experience can be attributed to the fact that physicians are becoming more comfortable with the Internet as a tool to aid their practices.

Added Dr. Friedberg, "There can be no doubt that both physician Internet adoption and usage has dramatically increased as a result of prestigious medical associations propelling the physician Internet viability and credibility."

According to a recent study released by the American Medical Association entitled "2002 AMA Study on Physicians' Use of the World Wide Web," some 78 percent of physicians now use the Internet, with two-thirds of those connected using it daily. The Chicago-based group surveyed 977 physicians between August and December 2001. Surveyed physicians were randomly selected from AMA's physician master file, which lists all physicians in the nation. The survey excluded physicians employed by the federal government, 70 years of age or older, or in residency training. According to survey results:

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Physicians continue to expand the hours they spend online each week, from 4.3 in 1997 to 7.1 in 2001. Surveyed physicians indicated they expected their hours online to increase significantly during the next six months.
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Older physicians are rapidly accepting the Internet. Some 65 percent of surveyed physicians age 60 or older surfed the Web in 2001, compared with 43 percent in 2000.
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About 30 percent of physicians using the Internet have a Web site, a proportion that has remained constant since 1999.

Echoing this theme, the American College of Surgeons reports increased usage among its members taking advantage of the research and learning capabilities offered by the web. In a February 6, 2002 press release issued by the ASS, Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS, Executive Director of ACS acknowledged, "the Internet (is) rapidly becomes(ing) a key tool in today's medical practice..." Explained Dr. Friedberg, "For the world of health care where web based education is being imagined and provided at cyber-speed, this is a great message that resonates throughout the health care landscape for both physicians and consumers."

(a) ABOUT DR. FRIEDBERG'S PK TECHNIQUE

PK anesthesia helps the patient recover quickly, usually pain and nausea free. The "P" stands for propofol and the "K" stands for ketamine. The combination "PK" stands for an anesthesia technique pioneered by Dr. Friedberg 10 years ago, designed to maximize patient safety in the office-based setting. PK technique creates the illusion of general anesthesia, with the minimal trespass of sedation. Patients neither hear nor feel their surgery, yet remain at the lightest level of anesthesia short of awake. This is important because when you have less anesthesia, your risk for "PONV" -- post-operative nausea and vomiting -- is tremendously reduced. This is one of the most common side effects of surgery, and one that you could eliminate with the PK Technique. Please visit www.doctorfriedberg.com for more detailed information.

ABOUT BARRY L. FRIEDBERG, MD

Barry L. Friedberg, MD, a globally recognized leader in the field of Anesthesia, shares his vision for innovative elective office-based cosmetic surgery anesthesia for the discriminating patient. Dr. Friedberg provides personalized, compassionate, clinical expertise, which exceeds patients' expectations. Dr. Friedberg is dedicated to providing highly evolved anesthesia with optimum results.