‘UAE Physicians are the highest amongst the region on Internet usage for the diagnosing and treatmen

Dubai – September 2005 – According to one of the largest online medical web portals, physicians within the UAE are the highest amongst the region when it comes to utilizing the Internet for diagnosing and the selection of treatment options for their patients.

In a comprehensive survey conducted by Univadis.md, a leading online medical library and research engine for physicians, it was found that Internet usage amongst medical professionals was high, with approximately 52% utilizing the Internet daily, and that nine out of ten UAE physicians rate the Internet as an "extremely positive" tool for receiving continuous education programs and has become the main source of medical information for daily practice.

Over the years, the Internet has seen huge leaps in popularity within the medical world, and due to savings in time efficiency; there has been an increased use of online professional Internet usage as opposed to offline usage.
These days, medical professionals prefer to access online medical journals and association websites for updates on news and information relating to diseases within their field of specialty.

Through the survey, it was found that physicians within the UAE possessed a number of different beliefs and attitudes towards using the Internet for professional purposes, and that these beliefs determined how often, and the extent to which, they relied on the Internet.

Through the information that was gathered, it was determined that the majority of medical professionals want fast and easy access to the Internet, and access to information that is both specialized and credible. It was found that physicians in general were attracted, but skeptical towards, local information and felt that international information was more objective, and therefore had more influence on clinical practices.

Dr. Hassan Koya, a GP at the Ghanem Medical Clinic in Abu Dhabi, is a regular user of the Internet, logging on at least once or twice a day.

"The Internet allows me a great deal of assistance in my day-to-day references, and is an easy way to keep up-to-date without going through huge reference books. It is also a benefit with regards to diagnosing difficult cases and uncommon conditions, as it allows us to access current information and interact with specialists in each field", said Dr. Koya.

He continues: "The Internet has enabled physicians to enjoy a wealth of medical-related information at the tips of our fingers. Univadis in particular has enabled us to augment our practices, as the information available on the web portal is both interesting and useful".

Dr. Prashant Bhatia, a Specialist Ophthalmologist at a private hospital in Dubai, is also a regular Internet user.

"The scope of the Internet is wide – it can be used for various purposes, from accessing patient information websites with the aim of better-informing patients of their conditions, to using specific subject related websites for recent advances, referencing older articles and using broader websites aimed at healthcare professionals for updates regarding recent advances in each medical specialty. It also enables us to access various group discussion forums and discuss interesting patient scenarios", said Dr. Bhatia.

He continues: "Over the years, the Internet has become more accessible for people of all ages and cultures. The Internet has the ability to reach across the masses, which is what makes it so vital for our profession. The fact that the Internet can deliver information to such a wide end user-base has enormous implications for the medical profession in general"

"For me, univadis.md is a great source of information pertaining to my particular specialty. Through it, I am able to access full text articles and keep up-to-date on recent advances relating to ophthalmology", concluded Dr. Bhatia.

Univadis.md, a global web portal which was launched in July of last year, offers professional content for UAE physicians seeking access to knowledge management applications and time-saving resources. The UAE portal offers data from the region, making it more applicable to the local medical community, and contains up-to-date news on the latest medical developments and breakthroughs from major news sources and journals.

"We believe in the strength of the Internet, and its benefits as an excellent resource of up-to-date, reliable information, which can be accessed quickly and easily. The Internet, particularly in relation to the medical profession, can change lives. It plays a major role in the wellbeing of the community as a whole, by providing quick access to credible sources of medical information. All the information physicians need is out there, all they have to know is where to find it – which is where univadis.md comes in", comments by Nader Abou Chakra, univadis.md, Regional Marketing Coordinator for the Middle East and Africa.

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For further information, please contact:

Robyn Mallalieu
Promax ME
Tel: 04 282 64 11
Mob: 712 39 42
robyn@promax.ae