A survey of Canadian medical oncologists on internet use for medical information and a needs assessment for an oncology education website

Abstract

17072 Background: The internet offers an innovative resource for medical oncologists to share and discuss important medical information and advances. Despite the existence of many websites with oncology related information, there has not been a comprehensive assessment of how Canadian medical oncologists use the internet to access this information. Purpose: In the first phase of developing a new educational website (OncologyEducation.com), we surveyed Canadian medical oncologists to determine how they used the internet to access information and to assess their needs for a web based educational resource. Method: A structured survey was developed and assessed for face and content validity by medical oncologists from our local institution. The survey had several domains including: comfort level with computers, description of internet use for work, and key features they would want in an educational website. The survey was sent to all medical oncologists in Canada via regular mail and e-mail. Results: 58 % (144/247) of medical oncologists responded to our survey. The number of years in practice varied from <5 yrs (31%) to 5–10 yrs (30%), and 11–20 years (15%) with 85% having an academic appointment. 90% of respondents were comfortable with using a computer. The most common reasons for internet use were email (91%), literature updates (78%), and answering clinical questions (72%). 27% of respondents used the internet for clinical questions daily, and 29% on a weekly basis. 49% accessed the internet for work-related information for 1–5 hours weekly, 26% for 6–10 hours weekly, and 20% for more than 11hrs weekly. Respondents expressed a need for an educational website stressing the following content: (1) Canadian Oncologists Database to improve opportunities for collaboration (2) Key updates by disease sites (3) Access to information about upcoming conferences. Conclusion: The internet plays a major role in the daily clinical activities of Canadian medical oncologists. The development of an education website based on the needs assessed in this survey is warranted. We are currently developing this site (OncologyEducation.com) and plan to evaluate on an ongoing basis. No significant financial relationships to disclose.