Results from the CMA's 1999 Physician Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) point to a notable increase in the number of physicians who use the Internet, with the proportion rising from 56% in 1998 to 66% in 1999. Of those who do not yet log on, 42% indicated that they plan to do so in the coming year. Although male physicians are more likely to use the Internet than females (70% versus 58%), the gap is narrowing. In 1998, 61% of male physicians used the Internet, compared with 44% of female physicians. FIGURE
Almost two-thirds (63%) of Canadian doctors now use email, up markedly from 51% in 1998 and 37% in 1997. The proportion of physicians who use the Internet to perform searches of bibliographic databases is also up substantially from 1998 (53% versus 42%), as is the proportion ordering documents and books online (27% versus 13%). The CMA Online Web site was visited by far more PRQ respondents in 1999 (27%) than in 1998 (15%), a fact that may help explain why CMA Online now ranks among the world's top 20 000 Web sites. (According to Netscape, its current ranking, in terms of popularity, is 19 592. In comparison, the site operated by the College of Family Physicians of Canada ranks 223 470, while the Medical Post site stands at 457 951. The World Wide Web is currently home to more than 7 million Web sites. - Ed.)
The proportion of physicians who accessed the CMA's online Clinical Practice Guideline Infobase jumped from 9% in 1998 to 21% in 1999. In 1999, 50% of all Canadian physicians visited Web sites intended for physicians, and 41% visited CME Web sites.
Footnotes
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This column was written by Shelley Martin, Physician Survey Analyst with the CMA's Research Directorate. Readers may send potential research topics to Patrick Sullivan ([email protected]; 613 731-8610 or 800 663-7336 x2126; fax 613 565-2382.)