Riding the wave or paddling in the shallows? Understanding older Australians' use of the internet

Issues addressed: Australia's ageing population is set to become an increasing burden on an already over-stretched primary health care system. Potential strategies to alleviate this pressure need to be investigated. Increased knowledge of older Australians' use of the internet would allow the appropriateness of online health intervention to be assessed. This initial, exploratory study examined the proportion of people aged 55 years and older who accessed the internet. It investigated their duration of use, level of comfort, use of the internet to seek health information and perceived reliability of information found on the internet.