Those in group practice and members of Divisions were independently more likely to be aware of the Cochrane Library. As patient outcomes will improve with systematic implementation of evidence-based treatments, these low rates of access to useful evidence databases raise issues regarding the best ways to support general practitioners with information technology. The first report of Australian clinicians' use of evidence databases was recently published in the Journal. Because of the breadth of their work, general practitioners have diverse needs for evidence to inform their practice. 4 Accessible evidence databases potentially represent an essential resource to meet these needs.
General practitioners can use it on CD-ROM or through the Internet.
Furthermore, despite positive attitudes towards evidence-based medicine, general practitioners reported low levels of use of either printed or electronic summaries of evidence, even among those who were aware of these resources. No reports have been published more recently to assess the uptake of information technology by general practitioners. The aim of our study was to determine New South Wales general practitioners' current awareness of, access to, and use of the Cochrane Library, and their access to the Internet both at home and at work. Respondents also completed eight standard sociodemographic questions. A copy of the questionnaire is available from the authors on request.