Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current issue
    • Past issues
    • Early releases
    • Collections
    • Sections
    • Blog
    • Infographics & illustrations
    • Podcasts
    • COVID-19 Articles
  • Authors
    • Overview for authors
    • Submission guidelines
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Forms
    • Editorial process
    • Editorial policies
    • Peer review process
    • Publication fees
    • Reprint requests
    • Open access
  • CMA Members
    • Overview for members
    • Earn CPD Credits
    • Print copies of CMAJ
  • Subscribers
    • General information
    • View prices
  • Alerts
    • Email alerts
    • RSS
  • JAMC
    • À propos
    • Numéro en cours
    • Archives
    • Sections
    • Abonnement
    • Alertes
    • Trousse média 2022
  • CMAJ JOURNALS
    • CMAJ Open
    • CJS
    • JAMC
    • JPN

User menu

Search

  • Advanced search
CMAJ
  • CMAJ JOURNALS
    • CMAJ Open
    • CJS
    • JAMC
    • JPN
CMAJ

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current issue
    • Past issues
    • Early releases
    • Collections
    • Sections
    • Blog
    • Infographics & illustrations
    • Podcasts
    • COVID-19 Articles
  • Authors
    • Overview for authors
    • Submission guidelines
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Forms
    • Editorial process
    • Editorial policies
    • Peer review process
    • Publication fees
    • Reprint requests
    • Open access
  • CMA Members
    • Overview for members
    • Earn CPD Credits
    • Print copies of CMAJ
  • Subscribers
    • General information
    • View prices
  • Alerts
    • Email alerts
    • RSS
  • JAMC
    • À propos
    • Numéro en cours
    • Archives
    • Sections
    • Abonnement
    • Alertes
    • Trousse média 2022
  • Visit CMAJ on Facebook
  • Follow CMAJ on Twitter
  • Follow CMAJ on Pinterest
  • Follow CMAJ on Youtube
  • Follow CMAJ on Instagram
Pulse

More than half of MDs under age 35 now using PDAs

Shelley Martin
CMAJ October 28, 2003 169 (9) 952-952-a;
Shelley Martin
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site

Results from the CMA's 2003 Physician Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) indicate that a third of Canadian physicians are now using a personal digital assistant (PDA) or wireless device such as a Palm Pilot in clinical practice, a 73% increase from the level of 19% recorded in 2001. In the 2002 PRQ, 28% of doctors reported using the devices. Use is highest among younger doctors, with more than half of those under age 35 (53%) now using a wireless device in clinical practice, compared with 15% of physicians aged 65 and older.

Figure

Figure.

Elsewhere on the electronic front, 17% of Canadian medical practices now have a Web site, the same proportion as in 2002. They are most popular among medical specialists, 25% of whom have launched sites.

After increasing from 41% in 1997 to 89% in 2002, the proportion of physicians who personally use the Internet now appears to have levelled off at 88%. Physicians under age 35 are most likely to make personal use of the medium (96%), while those aged 55–64 and 65+ are least likely (83% and 71%).

A large majority of physicians (90%) have had patients present medical information obtained on the Internet. At least occasionally, two-thirds of them (64%) refer patients to Web sites containing medical information. Those aged 65+ (47%) are least likely to do this. Even physicians who don't use the Internet refer patients to Web sites at least occasionally (33%), while 68% of MDs who use the Internet make these referrals. — Shelley Martin, Senior Analyst, CMA Research, Policy and Planning

Content

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Collections
  • Sections
  • Blog
  • Podcasts
  • Alerts
  • RSS
  • Early releases

Information for

  • Advertisers
  • Authors
  • Reviewers
  • CMA Members
  • Media
  • Reprint requests
  • Subscribers

About

  • General Information
  • Journal staff
  • Editorial Board
  • Advisory Panels
  • Governance Council
  • Journal Oversight
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Copyright and Permissions
  • Accessibiity
  • CMA Civility Standards
CMAJ Group

Copyright 2022, CMA Impact Inc. or its licensors. All rights reserved. ISSN 1488-2329 (e) 0820-3946 (p)

All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association or its subsidiaries.

To receive any of these resources in an accessible format, please contact us at CMAJ Group, 500-1410 Blair Towers Place, Ottawa ON, K1J 9B9; p: 1-888-855-2555; e: cmajgroup@cmaj.ca

Powered by HighWire