The last decade has seen the introduction of computers into more than 80% of general practices in Great Britain. [1] The computerization of practices has many administrative and clinical advantages in areas such as the patient database and repeat prescribing. But, despite this technological revolution, relatively few studies have examined the use of computers in the consultation, their impact on the doctor/patient relationship, or the views of doctors themselves. This paper seeks to review the existing literature systematically and provide a summary focusing on five main areas:
• position and use of computers during the consultation;
• behaviour associated with the computer;
• the patient perspective;
• the doctor perspective;
• confidentiality.
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