Sixty per cent of European doctors use the online encyclopedia Wikipedia for professional purposes the latest report has gone on to reveal. Also, there are more than 69% use social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter to network with others. The survey was conducted using 300 general practitioners all over across Europe.

The findings show that younger doctors are more inclined towards using these sites. The other surprising result shows that 75% of doctors in the 51 to 60 age have stated that they regularly consulted Wikipedia for professional use and finding out more information.

According to the London-based Insight Research Group that conducted the survey, this was surely an eye opener of sorts. This is one extremely reliable and sensible way for doctors to keep in touch with the others in their profession as well as the latest happenings around them.

The doctors who were surveyed also stated that they regularly used the Internet as a source for their research and each of them had specific websites for their patients to visit following their consultations. Eighty-seven per cent advised certain sites for their patients.

This shows that in an era of the “e-patient” and the web has become a trusted tool and resource for health-related matters. What the doctors surveyed felt that the internet can be used as a great tool and resource to make sure that patients do get the right information. The e-patient way of helping patients is here to stay.

The only point to be noted is that one must be sure that they are accessing the right kind of But the thing to be noted is that the patients should be accessing the right type of websites when it comes to health issues they or their loved ones are facing. Patients from all around the world have started accessing the social web has reinvented health advice and get the right advice.