Doctors are most likely to attend a conference based on the content, specifically whether it will benefit their practice, a study by American Express Meetings & Events has found.

The medical professionals cite access to new information as a top three consideration, while also nominating content as the most important meeting element that organisers should work to improve.

American Express Meetings & Events polled more than 500 doctors worldwide to get the industry's perspective on meetings and events preferences. The findings have been released in the report Doctor’s Orders: The Physician’s Perspective on Meetings and Events.

Almost three-quarters of respondents (74 per cent) said the biggest benefit of attending conferences was gaining access to information that helps their practice. The least important benefit nominated was sharing research and experience with others in their field (39 per cent).

The study also revealed that doctors are invited to an average 16 meetings each year, yet only attend half of that. The most frequent type of meetings attended are speaker dinners (67 per cent), symposia (66 per cent), congresses (53 per cent) and product meetings (52 per cent).

Issa Jouaneh, senior vice president and general manager American Express Meetings & Events, said: "Attracting physicians and designing effective, compelling meeting experiences is critical to the ongoing success of pharmaceutical-sponsored meetings. By better understanding the shifting expectations of physicians, meetings organisers can ensure that their events are a more effective channel for professional networking, product education, awareness and feedback."