MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AND THE INTERNET: A NEW SCENARIO

Introduction:In recent years, the Internet has revolutionized the world of communication and transformed the way people meet and communicate, however the overabundance of information does not always guarantee quality of it Objective Providing a space for medical guidance and promotion of healthcare in Internet directed to the community, to facilitate accessibility to information and scientific knowledge of high quality. Analyze the "who, why and what for" the use of this modality and discuss the benefits and potential harm to health. method: A specific web page that has a query form in which users can submit their doubts and questions freely and confidentially designed; They are answered the same orientation in email specialists in Family and Community Medicine. resultas:They were received and answered 615 questions. The most corresponded to inquiries made by women (72%). 70% were inquiries made by people between 20 and 40 years. The most frequent reason for consultation was gynecological in 73% of cases, with the questions contraception and the possibility of more frequent pregnancy. conclusions: With this information it is possible to outline strategies using this tool because each time more forcefully presented as a complement to traditional medical practice or as a place that is used to search for medical information. On the other hand, know them characteristics of these users also enables the planning of new programs in the service of education and health care.