title: [Internet use by primary care and hospital doctors: perception of how it influences their relationships with patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare Internet use among physicians working in primary health care and hospitals and their perception of the influence this has on patient-doctor relationships.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational descriptive study based on survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  7 public hospitals (H) and 8 primary health care centres (PH) from Alicante, Madrid, Saragossa and Huesca.
  
  
  METHODS
  685 physicians. 49.3% PH, 55.9% male, mean age: 43.2 years. MAIN ITEMS: How and for what is the Internet used on duty, advantages and disadvantages of Internet for medical-patient relationships.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hospital MDs spend more time on the Internet (p<0.001), take more advantage of education resources (p<0.001) and collaborate more frequently with specific web sites (p=0.02). Both groups agree that the Internet leads to interaction with patients. Only 14% of the MDs had not received any questions regarding Internet information; 27.6% recommend websites to their patients; 30.8% considered that Internet use complicates medical-patient relationships. Its main advantage (42.2%) is support in getting to know the disease; 20.5% considers that it improves patient autonomy; 30.9% thinks that it undermines physician credibility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital MDs use the Internet more intensively. Both groups have the same opinion on the advantages of the Web resources for medical-patient relationships.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche, Alicante, España. jose.mira@umh.es
authors.forename: José Joaquín
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mira Solves
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Llinás Santacreu
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lorenzo Martínez
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aibar Remón
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires