Sir: Kotak & Butler (Psychiatric Bulletin, January 2001, 25, 31-32) highlighted the importance of computers for psychiatrists in training. We share their disappointment that half of senior house officers and three-quarters of specialist registrars described having access to computers, and that, of these only one-quarter had internet access.

We have recently conducted a survey of psychiatric trainee attitudes in the Eastern region of the Republic of Ireland (n=153) in which we found that only 67% of respondents ever used a computer at work. Access in the workplace to the internet is higher than in the London sample (54%), but this figure and associated e-mail availability (29%) appear disappointingly low.

The College recognises the importance of trainee involvement in research (Psychiatric Bulletin 1994, 18, 514-524), an area where computer access and skills are now essential. Perhaps it is not surprising that we found that those trainees in our sample who had access to a computer or to the internet at work were more likely to be actively involved in research. Kotak & Butler have reported a demand among junior doctors for greater access to computers and the College recommends facilities for ‘hands on’ computerised literature searching for all trainees (Psychiatric Bulletin, 1994, 18, 514-524). Access is only half the point, in our sample only 71% of respondents rated their computer literacy as ‘fair’ or better; given the perceived demand and obvious potential benefits, should education in psychiatry include information technology training?