Computers in general practice: patients' attitudes

ABSTRACT

A four item questionnaire was given to patients as they left the consulting room to express their wishes on the use of a computer by their family doctor. The proportion of the total consulting time spent by the doctor entering data in the computer was measured to find if that had any bearing on patients' responses. Ninety six% of the patients who witnessed the use of the computer did not find it distracting, and 90.4% of patients thought that it was an advantage for doctors to use computers. The results show that patients' responses are not related to the length of time spent by the doctor using the computer, and that the vast majority of patients accept the presence of a computer in the consulting roomtheir wishes on the use of a computer by their family doctor. The proportion of the total consulting time spent by the doctor entering data in the computer was measured to find if that had any bearing on patients' responses. Ninety six% of the patients who witnessed the use of the computer did not find it distracting, and 90.4% of patients thought that it was an advantage for doctors to use computers. The results show that patients' responses are not related to the length of time spent by the doctor using the computer, and that the vast majority of patients accept the presence of a computer in the consulting room