Internet proves popular amongst GPs

UK GP's have taken to the Internet in a big way according to recently published research from NOP's healthcare division.

Around 80 per cent of GPs questioned said they had accessed the Web regularly over the last month. Of these, 90 per cent said they intend to increase their usage considerably in future. A similar picture materialised in another survey conducted recently by NOP which showed that 15 per cent of doctors are using the Internet at least once a day.

Dr Grant Kelly, chairman of British Medical Association's GP information technology sub-committee, was pleased to hear that the Internet is being put to good use among practitioners.

GP's said they are using the Web mainly to access medical information, discussion groups and details of new medical practices. Kelly said that a large part of the usage is down to email, which GP's are using to improve communications.

However, Kelly added: "The Internet has been used by pharmaceutical companies in the past as a media hype machine." A drug was hailed on the Web six months ago as a breakthrough cure for Asthma but has since proven to be much less than its hype suggested, according to Kelly.