Media Use for Professional Information Among German Dentists

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to assess the media use for professional information among German dentists on the basis of a representative survey. METHODS: After questionnaire development and pretests, 3000 questionnaires were mailed to German dentists in early October 2000. The random sample was taken by systematic sampling from the database of the German Federal Dentists Chamber. The survey wasannounced in a German Dental Journal (Zahn‰rztliche Mitteilungen). RESULTS: The return rate amounted to 28.9% (n=866). Among the questioned dentists, 39.7% had an Internet access in their workplace / practice, 61.4% a private access at home. 46% used the Internet not at all as a source of information. 21.3% for up to an hour a week and 10.2% for more than an hour a week. The importance of the Internet as a source of information is given as high by 30.5% of respondents, 49.1% said its importance was average and 15.3% saw it as low, 5.1% didn\u27t answer this question. The preference for mediation of scientific information were given as shown in the table below (percentage of high importance): Journal-supplements 74%, Mail 63%, Advanced education 55%, Internet 40%, E-mail 33%, Modules in the practice software 20%. CONCLUSION: With a rather low return-rate, this study has only an explorative character. Although a high availability of the Internet in the private area was present, the possibilities of electronic procurement of information were used only cautiously. For the supply of overview works or statements, conventional means such as the post or publication in journals are preferred over electronic media. This study was supported by the German Society of Dentistry and Oral Medicine