Preferences of diabetes patients and physicians: a feasibility study to identify the key indicators for appraisal of health care values.

Background: Evidence-based medicine, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), support the inclusion of patients' preferences in health care decisions. In fact there are not many trials which include an assessment of patient's preferences. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that preferences of physicians and of patients can be assessed and that this information may be helpful for medical decision making.

[Use of the internet for health care information: results from a national telephone survey].

Objectives: The Internet has attracted considerable attention as a means to improve health and health care delivery, but it is not clear how prevalent internet use for health care really is. Available estimates for Germany don't exist. Without accurate estimates of use, it is difficult to focus policy discussions or design appropriate policy activities.