The Prevalence of Online Health Information Seeking Among Patients in Scotland: A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

Abstract

BackgroundOnline health information seeking is an activity that needs to be explored in Scotland. While there are a growing number of studies that adopt a qualitative approach to this issue and attempt to understand the behaviors associated with online health information seeking, previous studies focusing on quantifying the prevalence and pattern of online health seeking in the United Kingdom have been based on Internet users in general.ObjectiveThis exploratory study sought to describe the prevalence of online health information seeking in a rural area of Scotland based on primary data from a patient population.MethodsA survey design was employed utilizing self-completed questionnaires, based on the Pew Internet and American Life Project; questionnaires were distributed among adult patients in 10 primary care centers in a rural community in Scotland.ResultsA convenience sample of 571 (0.10% of the total population in Grampian, N=581,198) patients completed the questionnaire. A total of 68.4% (379/554) of patients had previously used the Internet to acquire health information. A total of 25.4% (136/536) of patients consulted the Internet for health information regarding their current appointment on the day surveyed; 34.6% (47/136) of these patients were influenced to attend their appointment as a result of that online health information. A total of 43.2% (207/479) of patients stated the health information helped improve their health and 67.1% (290/432) indicated that they had learned something new. A total of 34.0% (146/430) of patients talked to a health professional about the information they had found and 90.0% (376/418) reported that the information was useful. In total, 70.4% (145/206) of patients were concerned about obtaining health information online from reliable sources. A total of 67.1% (139/207) of patients were concerned that a health site may sell their personal information, yet only 6.7% (36/535) checked the privacy policy of the site visited. However, 27.9% (55/197) of patients were not concerned about their employer finding out what health sites they visited, whereas 37.5% (78/208) were concerned that others would find out.ConclusionsThe results suggest that online health information-seeking behavior influences offline health-related behavior among the population surveyed. Patient attitudes to online health information seeking were focused on issues relating to trust, reliability, privacy, and confidentiality. This study provides support for the growing phenomenon of an empowered, computer-literate, health information consumer, and the impact of this phenomenon must be considered in the context of the patient-health professional dynamic. The unpredictable nature of human thought and action in relation to this field of study requires an ongoing program of ethnographic research, both physical and virtual, within a Health Web Science framework. This study has provided a baseline of the prevalence of online health information seeking in the Grampian region of Scotland.

Exploring the Most Visible German Websites on Melanoma Immunotherapy: A Web-Based Analysis

“…In accordance with common online search patterns of the general population including cancer patients [12][13][14][15], two independent researchers (JB, TS) searched the first 20 hits on the most frequently used online search engines Google™, Bing™, and Yahoo™ for a combination of German synonyms for "melanoma" and "immunotherapy". A priori, Google™ trends analysis was used to identify relevant search combinations that people frequently used when searching Google for this topic.…”

“…Furthermore, two researchers have searched the search engines Google™, Bing™ and Yahoo™ because these websites are searched from the most patients and the public for general cancer information [12][13][14][15]. It is also interesting to note that the two researchers were at different geographical locations of Germany when searching the three search engines.…”

“…Besides medical consultations and written information [10], as the cancer patients' persisting primary and most important sources of health information, a growing preference of the Internet to acquire disease-specific information has been observed [8][9][10][11]. The search engines Google™, Bing™ and Yahoo™ are the most searched in this respect by the public and patients [12][13][14][15]. However, although the Internet becomes increasingly popular, many cancer patients are skeptical of online information [16,17].…”

Consumer health information seeking in social media: a literature review

“…According to the report of European Citizens’ Digital Health Literacy published in 2014, over 75% of Europeans considered the Internet as a good resource for looking up health information and 60% reported using the Internet to search health information . As reported by a survey conducted in 2015, 68.4% of patients in Scotland had previously acquired online health information . Among the 16 major health topics, ranging from specific diseases to diet to health insurance, it turned out that specific diseases or medical problems dominated Americans’ online queries .…”

Using psychological theory and qualitative methods to develop a new evidence-based website about acupuncture for back pain

“…audio, film) and provide more extensive information to those who are interested without overwhelming others. Indeed, online sources of health information are increasingly important to health care consumers [10], [11], [12], [13] but websites about complementary therapies in particular can be unreliable [14], [15], [16]. A new educational website about acupuncture could therefore be useful to help potential patients make informed choices.…”