Analysis on residents′ access to and utilization rate of online health information

Abstract

Objective To provide reference for bettering online health information supply and meeting residents′ health needs by analyzing residents′ access to and utilization rate of online health information. Methods 1 460 residents aged 18 years or above and having experienced medical visits themselves or accompanying others in one year were surveyed in June 2016. The survey covered their access to online health information and the utilization rate. χ2 test, variance analysis, and important quadrant derivation model were used in the data analysis. Results 84.5% of the respondents used mobile phones as the most popular tool for accessing health information on the Internet, with more women than men. The importance quadrant analysis found that the residents have the highest utilization rate (72.6%) of search engines, yet the reliability scoring of such engines was the lowest (62.8). Professional medical health websites scored the highest in reliability (81.8), yet the lowest utilization rate (2.1%). Conclusions Search engines require stronger scrutiny to improve their information quality. Professional health and medical institutions′ websites are encouraged to step up health information promotions, and health management Apps should be regulated in their development, to create convenient and reliable online health information platforms. Key words: Information services; Online health information; Access channels; Utilization rate; Questionnaire survey