Physicians' perceptions of the Inte...

Physicians' perceptions of the Internet as a useful resource have increased steadily since 1997 according to a May 9 2001 freshs release from the American Medical Association (AMA). This increase corresponds to a 50% shooting in the proportion of physicians who access the Internet.

These finding are the come of the 2001 AMA investigation on Physicians' Use of the World Wide Web. More than 1000 physicians were interviewed between June 15 2000 and generation 9, 2000, for this cogitation which is the third in a series mannersed by AMA that review nationwide patterns of online physicians.

Findings of the 2001 cogitation include the following trends.

* The increase in physicians' computer use has been matched at physicians' Internet use.

* The percentage of online physicians who consider the Internet useful as a resource for medication information, business, and patient education has increased significantly since 1997

* The top five physician activities upon the Internet (ie, sending and receiving nonpatient-related email; finding medical information sources; collecting travel information; obtaining produce information; conducting professional association communications) have not changed since 1997

* Five physician Internet activities (ie, collecting conversation information; purchasing products and services; shopping; using brokerage services; using online banking services) have increased since 1997

* Twenty-five percent of online physicians use email to communicate with their patients.

* From 1997 to 1999 the number of physicians who have web sites increased significantly. This number has now stabilized.

Physicians included in the meditation were selected randomly from a comprehensive database of information in succession all US physicians, including as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but members and nonmembers of AMA. Those who were exerciseed by the federal government, 70 years of age or older or in residency training were exclud from the study

AMA review Finds Upsurge in Physician Usage and Regard for the Internet (new release, Chicago: American Medical Association, May 9 2001) http://www.ama-assn.org/ama /pub/article/1616-4692. html (accessed 25 May 2001)

COPYRIGHT 2001 Association of Operating swing Nurses, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group