Norwegian Surgical and Medical Oncologists' Use of the Internet. A New Source for Professional Updating

Abstract

Background: The Internet has become an important resource of medical information. The objective of this study was to examine its use by Norwegian oncologists. Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty-six oncologists were invited to take part in a questionnaire-based study and 105 responded. Results: Ninety-six percent had access to the Internet. Eightyfour percent employed the net and 82% used e-mail. Males were more frequently e-mail users (p=0.044). The mean weekly time spent on the Internet was 103 minutes (range 0 - 10 hours). The benefits of Internet use reported were professional updating and information about meetings/conferences/workshops. Information about vacancies and product advertisements were considered of little importance. Ninety-one percent, mainly medical oncologists (p=0.003), had encountered patients/relatives who had provided Internet down-loaded medical data for consideration. Forty-two percent requested more training. Conclusion: Most oncologists use the Internet for professional updating. They frequently receive Internet down-loaded data from patients/relatives.