BACKGROUND The information needs of clinicians is a popular research topic in America and Europe, and many findings have been reported. In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare performed two nationwide studies in 1999, but both used only questionnaires sent to clinicians. PURPOSE To investigate the actual information needs of physicians and to consider future medical information services in Japan. DESIGN and METHOD Study 1: We interviewed two physicians treating inpatients with

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... tes mellitus. We asked them to list all questions that arose during a day of caring for inpatients with diabetes mellitus. Study 2: We asked three primary care physicians working in outpatient clinics to record questions that arose during the care of each patient. RESULT Study 1: The two physicians saw seven patients and had only four questions during the day. Most questions related to the benefits and side effects of drugs. Study 2: The three physicians saw 52 patients and had 30 questions. The incidence of questions was similar for inpatient care (57%) and outpatient care (58%). Many of the questions that arose during inpatient care related to specific treatments. However many questions that arose in outpatient care related to diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS These findings about the incidence of question agree with results of European and American studies. However, the content of the questions that arose in outpatient clinics differed between our study (diagnosis) and these earlier studies (treatment). Further study of information needs is necessary in Japan. We believe that the support by librarians based on such data is effective for clinicians in Japan.