**Dear Editor,**

In Brazil, a country where digital inclusion at home is growing^[@r01]^, there is a lack of data on the patients\' use of the Internet for health information. A survey conducted among 118 patient in the Heart Valve Diseases Outpatient Clinic of InCor, resulted in the findings shown in [Table 1](#t01){ref-type="table"}.

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Profile of the patients interviewed

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  Female gender                                                   65.2%
  Age (above 51 years of age)                                     66%
  Level of education: did not complete elementary school          53%
  Level of education: tertiary school                             5.9%
  Internet access (frequently or whenever possible)               16.9%
  Internet access (hardly ever)                                   10%
  Internet access (do not use)                                    72%
  Have already searched the Internet about their health problem   12%
  Were able to find information on their problem                  11%
  --------------------------------------------------------------- -------

The figure of 11% of active participation, albeit modest, signals the value of initiatives in communication training in the doctor-patient relationship.
