Computers and connectivity in Illinois emergency departments

Although the Internet has been described as "ubiquitous," little is known a bout the extent to which physicians have access to the Internet while provi ding clinical care. Objective: To assess the extent of Internet connectivit y within the clinical area of every ED within the state of Illinois. Method s: This was a prospective observational study. Each Illinois ED listed in a published directory was called by telephone, and a responsible party was i dentified to provide information regarding the type and size of the ED, pat ient demographics, the types of personal computers (PCs) available in the E D (if any), the types of operating systems used, the availability of access to the World Wide Web (Web), and the highest speed at which an Internet co nnection could be established. Responses regarding the presence and types o f PCs and the types of operating systems used were assessed using one-facto r chi-square. Univariate and multivariate predictors of the type of PC used , the presence or absence of Web access, and the highest speed of Internet access were evaluated using optimal discriminant analysis and nonlinear cla ssification tree analysis, respectively. Results: One hundred ninety-eight of the 199 EDs in the state of Illinois (99.5%) completed the survey. Of th e responding EDs, 50.5% had PCs, but only 17.6% had Web access. When Web ac cess was available, it was most often available through a high-speed Intern et connection that was faster than a dial-up modem. Most departments (68.1% ) with PCs used the Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating systems. A majority (62.5%) used the Netscape browser exclusively. Larger EDs (more than six ED beds) in rural or suburban areas were more likely to have a PC compared wi th smaller EDs (six or fewer beds). Large EDs (more than 12 ED beds) in pri vate tertiary care or academic hospitals were most: likely to have Web acce ss. Conclusions: Although half of Illinois EDs have PCs, only one in six ha s access to the Internet; thus, most emergency physicians do not have ready access to the Web from the site where they deliver clinical care.