There has been a rapid expansion of computer use in medicine recently in India. The reasons are availability of high speed and wireless connections, decreasing cost, demands for increased quality of care & documentation, and improving medical education. The city Delhi and nearby regions are considered to be advanced in areas of Information Technology (IT). However, the computer literacy level among healthcare professionals & students in this region is still unknown. To evaluate this, a pilot survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire titled, ‘Use of computer by healthcare professionals in Delhi & NCR region’. A total of 370 medical/dental students and healthcare professionals were surveyed. Disproportionate stratified random sampling was used for the study. Majority of students were found to have good skills with regard to computer & Internet usage. However, they were found not to use computer for studies but for social networking. Google and Yahoo seemed to be their favorite search engines and Facebook and Orkut were the favorite social networking sites. The healthcare professionals used computers to access online journals, study materials, and for research and for communication. They also used computer for clinical purposes. The study concluded that although majority of medical students have basic grasp of computers and internet, they lacked advanced computer skills. There is a strong need for healthcare professionals to learn a lot more about computers. A proactive approach by the medical & dental councils will initiate greater application of Information Technology in the healthcare industry in India.

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