Physicians continue to spend about three hours a week online for professional reasons. Latest data show that they spend more than half of that time on the Internet at home where they are free from the distractions of the office and are otherwise unreachable. Once online, the vast majority of doctors continue to use the Internet to augment their clinical knowledge. Most physicians online also say that the information they find on the Internet has an impact on their knowledge about symptoms, treatments, and possible diagnoses.
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Around three-quarters continue to report that the information they find online has an impact on their prescription decisions.
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Physicians have begun to use the Internet in more discerning ways—engaging in more interactive activities, adding more types of websites to their repertoire, and referring patients to websites.
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Electronic prescribing, electronic medical records, and remote disease monitoring are garnering wider audiences as obstacles to the adoption of these tools are overcome.
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Of the one-quarter of doctors who communicate with patients online, most do so only with the handful who request this method of consultation.
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Doctors are not alone online: About 80 percent of all patients surveyed now search the Internet for information about health-related topics.