Evidence-based preventive practice guidelines - Qualitative study of useful resources on the Internet

OBJECTIVE To explore family physicians' perspectives on how best to provide evidence-based preventive clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to physician s on the Internet. DESIGN Focus groups. SETTING A large, urban centre and a rural community hospital. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-four of more than 150 family physicians who subscribed to an e-mail discussion group. METHOD Qualitative survey of four focus groups, analysis of transcripts and researchers' notes. MAIN FINDINGS Four themes characterized participants' preferences for disse minating preventive CPGs on the Internet: content expectations; quick, easy access to information; trustworthiness of information; and implications fo r clinical practice. CONCLUSION Physicians want quick, easy access to trustworthy information. A website for preventive CPGs with these characteristics would be a useful r esource.