This study aimed to determine the percentage of patients in a primary care practice who use the Internet for health information, describe the types of information sought, evaluate patients' perceptions of the quality of this information, and assess whether patients who use the Internet for health information discuss this with their doctors. A self-administered mailed survey was conducted among 1,000 randomly selected patients from a primary care internal medicine private practice, with a response rate of 56.2%. The results showed that 53.5% of respondents used the Internet for medical information, which was associated with higher education levels and higher incomes. Patients used the Internet for a wide range of medical topics, including nutrition, drug side effects, complementary medicine, and second opinions. Sixty percent of respondents felt that the quality of information on the Internet was at least as good as or better than that from their doctors. However, 59% of those using the Internet did not discuss this information with their doctors. Patients who discussed their online findings with their doctors rated the quality of the information higher. The study concludes that primary care providers should recognize that patients are using the Internet as a source of medical information and should be prepared to offer suggestions for reliable online resources and assist patients in evaluating the quality of medical information.This study aimed to determine the percentage of patients in a primary care practice who use the Internet for health information, describe the types of information sought, evaluate patients' perceptions of the quality of this information, and assess whether patients who use the Internet for health information discuss this with their doctors. A self-administered mailed survey was conducted among 1,000 randomly selected patients from a primary care internal medicine private practice, with a response rate of 56.2%. The results showed that 53.5% of respondents used the Internet for medical information, which was associated with higher education levels and higher incomes. Patients used the Internet for a wide range of medical topics, including nutrition, drug side effects, complementary medicine, and second opinions. Sixty percent of respondents felt that the quality of information on the Internet was at least as good as or better than that from their doctors. However, 59% of those using the Internet did not discuss this information with their doctors. Patients who discussed their online findings with their doctors rated the quality of the information higher. The study concludes that primary care providers should recognize that patients are using the Internet as a source of medical information and should be prepared to offer suggestions for reliable online resources and assist patients in evaluating the quality of medical information.