More Net-savvy MDs surfing the Web

Results from the CMA‚s 2000 Physician Resource Questionnaire indicate that the number of Canadian physicians using the Internet is still on the upswing. The proportion of those on the Net increased from 66% in 1999 to 76% in 2000, and 42% of those who are not yet ”wired” plan to do so in the coming year.

More male physicians than female use the Internet (78% v. 72%), but the gap continues to narrow. In 1999, 70% of male physicians and 58% of females used the Internet, up from 61% and 44% in 1998. Physicians in the oldest age groups are still least likely to be online: 70% of those aged 55 to 64 and 44% of those 65 and older use the Internet, while more than 80% of doctors up to age 55 are connected. With an online rate of 83%, medical specialists are more likely to use the Internet than either GP/FPs (72%) or surgical specialists (77%).

The proportion of physicians using email has almost doubled in 3 years, from 37% in 1997 to 72% in 2000. Frequency of email use is also on the rise, as 87% of those who use email did so daily or weekly, compared with 78% in 1997.

Thirty-seven percent of physicians have ordered documents and books online, up from 27% a year ago, while 23% have participated in online discussion groups. Medical-oriented Web sites are popular with physicians: 64% conduct MEDLINE searches online, 58% browse or read online medical journals, 44% read news about medicine and health care, and 49% visit other physician-oriented sites. CMA Online is visited at least occasionally by 1 in 3 Canadian physicians. —

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