Internet Usage by Parents Prior to Seeking Care at a Pediatric Emergency Department: Observational Study

Abstract

BackgroundLittle is known about how parents utilize medical information on the Internet prior to an emergency department (ED) visit.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to determine the proportion of parents who accessed the Internet for medical information related to their child’s illness in the 24 hours prior to an ED visit (IPED), to identify the websites used, and to understand how the content contributed to the decision to visit the ED.MethodsA 40-question interview was conducted with parents presenting to an ED within a freestanding children’s hospital. If parents reported IPED, the number and names of websites were documented. Parents indicated the helpfulness of Web-based content using a 100-mm visual analog scale and the degree to which it contributed to the decision to visit the ED using 5-point Likert-type responses.ResultsAbout 11.8 % (31/262) reported IPED (95% CI 7.3-5.3). Parents who reported IPED were more likely to have at least some college education (P=.04), higher annual household income (P=.001), and older children (P=.04) than those who did not report IPED. About 35% (11/31) could not name any websites used. Mean level of helpfulness of Web-based content was 62 mm (standard deviation, SD=25 mm). After Internet use, some parents (29%, 9/31) were more certain they needed to visit the ED, whereas 19% (6/31) were less certain. A majority (87%, 195/224) of parents who used the Internet stated that they would be somewhat likely or very likely to visit a website recommended by a physician.ConclusionsNearly 1 out of 8 parents presenting to an urban pediatric ED reported using the Internet in the 24 hours prior to the ED visit. Among privately insured, at least one in 5 parents reported using the Internet prior to visiting the ED. Web-based medical information often influences decision making regarding ED utilization. Pediatric providers should provide parents with recommendations for high-quality sources of health information available on the Internet.

Dr Google in the ED: searching for online health information by adult emergency department patients

“…It has been reported that 43–56% of parents of children presenting to emergency departments (EDs) had searched online for health information at some time, 1 ‐ 3 and that 6–12% had undertaken a health‐related search before taking their child to an ED 1 . ‐ 3 How such behaviour affects the doctor–patient relationship during an ED consultation is poorly understood.…”

“…The implications It may be beneficial for doctors to acknowledge and discuss health-related internet searches with adult emergency department patients. I t has been reported that 43e56% of parents of children presenting to emergency departments (EDs) had searched online for health information at some time, [1][2][3] and that 6e12% had undertaken a health-related search before taking their child to an ED. [1][2][3] How such behaviour affects the doctorepatient relationship during an ED consultation is poorly understood.…”

Quality, Trustworthiness, Readability, and Accuracy of Medical Information Regarding Common Pediatric Emergency Medicine-Related Complaints on the Web

“…This measurement is problematic because it would require parents to remember their exact query terms, the rank order of results, and the exact sites that were visited within a specified time period prior to their visit. One survey of parents who accessed the Internet 24 h prior to an ED visit found that over one-third of parents could not remember any visited website (3). Thus, relying on a parent's memory to analyze visited websites might be inaccurate.…”

“…Up to 56% of RECEIVED: 20 February 2019; FINAL SUBMISSION RECEIVED: 5 May 2019; ACCEPTED: 4 June 2019 parents perform online searches prior to bringing their child to the emergency department (ED), with 68% of queries containing symptoms and 51% containing treatment options (2). Nearly one in eight parents use the Internet to search health information immediately prior to visiting an ED (3).…”

Online information use on health/illness by relatives of hospitalized premature infants

“…In addition, the family seeks online data as a way to complement the knowledge of professionals, not to replace it; since the elements sought help in the care provided at home. Therefore, it is important to guide the use of reliable resources to support such care (14) and guide subjects in relation to health information available in that environment (10) .…”