Physician use of online surveys to gather medical information has increased in recent years. Online surveys are widely used to gather vital information related to patient medical history, background, the physician/patient relationship and diagnosis/decision-making.

With its emphasis on collecting data from relatively large numbers of individuals, the use of online surveys is becoming an essential way for physicians to improve their medical knowledge and to acquire updated information about health care and their profession in general.

Online surveys are also easy to implement and give the user a way to conduct large-scale research while eliminating the costs of stationery, postage and administration. However, careful planning is required to improve the validity of online surveys, including approaches to increase distribution and limit response bias.

According to American Medical News, nearly all U.S. doctors are currently social media users,  and are extensively using social media sites to share and distribute their surveys. Eighty-six percent of U.S. physicians use the Internet to gather health, medical or prescription drug information. Physicians are finding new ways to gather information, and online surveys are the most preferred method.