[Need for scientific medical information by internists working in the therapeutic and prophylactic system]

A study was carried out on the necessity of scientific medical information (SMI) among the internists, engaged in the practical public health care according to the methods: inquiry, collective expert evaluation and entropic. The results revealed that the scientific medical periodicals, books and drug catalogues are preferred as a source of SMI, whereas the secondary sources indexes, surveys, congress materials are less known and used. Of occupational and scientific interest is the scientific information on the fresh news of the methods about: a) diagnostics; b) treatment and c) new drugs. The inquired physicians gave the priority to addressed and current information. Sixty one per cent of them spend 60 min. weekly in retrieving the necessary SMI, and 40 per cent--over 240 min weekly, processing the relevant literature found.