The use of e-mail by doctors in the West Midlands.
We surveyed the use of e-mail by doctors in the West Midlands. In addition to 224 questionnaires distributed to doctors at three large hospitals, 300 general practitioners (GPs) selected randomly from a list of 711 were also sent questionnaires. There was a 60% response rate. Overall, 65% of the 314 respondents used e-mail, but 84% of hospital doctors used email compared with 55% of GPs. E-mail was used mainly for communication with friends and family (92%) and work colleagues (61%), with only 7% using e-mail for transmitting clinical data and 3% to send or receive referrals. E-mail usage showed a significant trend with respect to age, being highest in the 20-29-year age group and lowest among those aged over 60 years. Over 60% of respondents felt that e-mail was not secure for the transfer of patient data. However, 90% felt that they would be using e-mail in a clinical setting in five years' time. Despite the relatively high use of e-mail for social communication, work-related use by doctors was low.
Evans
L
L
Department of Public Health, University of Birmingham, UK. LucRhian@aol.com
Nicholas
P
P
Hughes-Webb
P
P
Fraser
C L
CL
Jamalapuram
K
K
Hughes
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003219:Confidentiality; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires