Doctors Without URLs: Searching For Good Health SitesDoctors Without URLs: Searching For Good Health Sites

Although doctors often get a reputation of being anti-IT, most think the Internet can be used to enhance communication between them and their patients and boost overall care, according to a new survey.

The survey of 102 physicians conducted by Accel Healthcare Communications LLC, a medical communications and advertising firm, found that 60% of MDs believe patient-doctor encounters have improved "since the advent of health care information on the Web" because patients often have better access to health information than ever before, says Accel chairman Risa Bernstein, who wrote the report.

"It's true that doctors often don't have as much time as they'd like to spend discussing health issues with patients," Bernstein says. "So 72% of the doctors say they encourage patients to use the Internet" to learn about health matters. Most, however, don't feel qualified to suggest individual sites, she says. About two-thirds of the doctors surveyed indicate "an interest in receiving Web-resource guides" to help make those suggestions.

Also, Bernstein says, 85% of physicians think that over the next five years, improvement to health information online will let them better use the Internet as an educational tool for their patients.