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 physicians 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 disseminating preventive CPGs on the Internet: content expectations; quick, easy access to information; trustworthiness of information; and implications for clinical practice.

CONCLUSION Physicians want quick, easy access to trustworthy information. A website for preventive CPGs with these characteristics would be a useful resource.