Are you comfortable with computers? I'm getting there. My generation is stuck in the middle. Wonderful when they work, but when they break down I have to call in an expert.
Have you used IT in your medical career? All the records in our clinic are computerised and coded for security. I once got involved in creating a CD version of The Oxford Book of Medicine providing easy access to pictures of rare conditions. It raises the issue of consent and patients need to understand how these photos will be used.
Do you use the net for research? All the time. Libraries are the best cure for insomnia. Most corporate sites are good but the public should be aware of who's paying for research and publication.
Should the general public research their own medical problems? It's great when patients are involved. Often, they want to see how what you say compares to what they've read. The danger lies in wrong information or misunderstanding the situation.
How will the BBC's interactive First Aid website work? We created 10 scenarios: choking, burns, drowning, heart attacks, reconstructions that stop when a decision has to be made. The audience chooses one of three actions and discovers the outcomes. Online, we've used computer graphics/animations for the reconstructions and surfers click on one of the three outcomes.
How do you use the net in your personal and social life? I'd be lost without email, it's taken over from the phone. I'm one of those sad people who does grocery shopping online. I've booked hotels, bought books and often comparison shop on the net.
Is there anything on the web that makes you angry? I do specialist work in sexual health so if I put the word "breast" in a search engine I get 45,000 porn sites. The porn isn't upsetting: wasting time is.
Is there anything you'd like to accomplish online? The internet has great potential for learning and teaching, and I want to get more involved with it, to set up forums comparing teaching practice, ideas, bringing people together to share information.
Any favourite websites? tesco.com - saves on trolley rage; go-fly.com - to dream of places to go when I should be working. Some general medical sites, nhsdirect.uk, patient.co.uk and mayoclinic.com. Specific sites, fpa.org.uk (family planning), cancerbacup.org.uk and embarassingproblems.co.uk.
My favourite research sites are bmj.com and nice.org. I belong to several online communities and clubs; doctors.net.uk and bowlofcherries.co.uk offer intelligent discussions.
Visit: bbc.co.uk/health/999
