A survey on how Italian nephrologists keep themselves updated

We performed a survey on how Italian nephrologists update their professional knowledge. 306 out of 877 participants in the 1994 Italian Congress of Nephrology returned the questionnaire. Their median age was 40 years and the sample was in large part composed by doctors working in public hospitals. Nephrologists attribute great importance to being updated in internal medicine (besides nephrology). Consultants and professors apparently spend more time than younger doctors on reading medical journals and more frequently participate in nephrology congresses. The National Congress of Nephrology and the EDTA meeting were the preferred congresses. The 'Giornale Italiano di Nefrologia' was the most read nephrology journal followed by Kidney International. 80% of participants read Italian journals as well as anglo-american journals. Current Contents was frequently used by about 1/3 of Italian nephrologists while >60% used Medline at least once a year.