The use of the Internet for a Cooperative Multicentered Study

on Health Services Quality Rates 2003 - 2004

Authors: Dr. Rodas Eduardo, Dr. Vernengo Lima Mario, Dr. Williams Guillermo, Dra. Amarilla Analía, Dr. Fraschina Juan Carlos

Contact: Dr. Rodas Eduardo edurodas@yahoo.com.ar

Abstract:

The Internet and the electronic mailing were applied to send and receive all the information and data for a Cooperative Multicentered Study about the Health Services Quality Rates which involved 79 – public and private – Health Centers of nine different regions distributed along the Argentine Republic.

The information was collected and sent by Grant Holders, especially selected for this purpose. They used their regular e-mail addresses which were received by the IT representatives, as well as by the Coordinator and Co-coordinators of the present Study.

In the course of the program carried out between 1^st February, 2003 and 31^st January, 2004, 833 e-mails where received by the IT Representatives and 216 e-mails where sent to the Grant Holders.

The Health Centers had to send 17241 data, however 15303 data were received instead, that is to say 88.75%. The remaining 11.25% failed to be surveyed due to different reasons, as for example, operation difficulties, the floods in one of the provinces, which caused the temporary interruption of the Health Center system.

For the surveyed data, 100 % was e-mailed timely and properly without any interruption during the time span of the study – one year round-.

The electronic mail constitutes a useful and economical tool to carry out this kind of studies, due to the celerity, reliability and accuracy of the data and information transmission.

Keywords: Internet y Medicine, Electronic Mail, Multicentered Study