The use of email by doctors in the West Midlands

We surveyed the use of email by doctors in the West Midlands. In addition to 224 questionnaires distributed to doctors at three large hospitals, 300 general practitioners (GPs) selected randomly from a list of 711 were also sent questionnaires. There was a 60% response rate. Overall, 65% of the 314 respondents used email, but 84% of hospital doctors used email compared with 55% of GPs. Email was used mainly for communication with friends and family (92%) and work colleagues (61%), with only 7% using email for transmitting clinical data and 3% to send or receive referrals. Email usage showed a significant trend with respect to age, being highest in the 20-29-year age group and lowest among those aged over 60 years. Over 60% of respondents felt that email was not secure for the transfer of patient data. However, 90% felt that they would be using email in a clinical setting in five years' time. Despite the relatively high use of email for social communication, work-related use by doctors was low.