GP specialty training: a European perspective.

British Journal of General Practice, December 2007 data are automatically entered. However, it can be difficult to know howmany people you have invited to complete a survey, and hence it can be difficult to calculate a response rate. Response rates can be very low, making it difficult to draw any conclusions from the data. Heneghan et al and Cals et al have avoided these pitfalls by using a defined population: the Oxford study used a targeted electronic clinical bulletin, while the the Dutch study used an internet panel. Internet panels are usually made up of individuals who have agreed to join and complete a certain number of questionnaires. In return, they receive points, money, or some other form of reimbursement. Therefore, internet panels are not necessarily representative of the general population. Both studies had reasonable response rates: 75% in the Dutch study, reflecting the use of an internet panel, and 50% in the Oxford study which is comparable withmany other surveys of GPs who are notoriously bad at responding to surveys. Love it or loathe it, the internet is here to stay, both as a source of health information and as a research medium. Primary care clinicians and researchers are already adapting to its use, and my guess is that we will soon be wondering how we ever managed without it.