Danish patients lead the way on healthcare IT usage

Demand is growing fast for healthcare providers to interact with patients via the Internet. E-mail consultations are becoming widespread, and more people want access to electronic health records, according to a Danish survey presented at the World of Health IT Conference and Exhibition in Geneva.

The survey conducted in October 2005 showed that 60% of the 1000 respondents use the Internet for health purposes and almost half of them consider it a valuable source of health information. About 25% of respondents using the medium report feeling relieved; a fifth decided to change their diet and lifestyle as a result of what they learned; and 19% use it to make suggestions to health professionals. Another 5% use the Internet to change an appointment, and 3% use it to change their medication.