Internet Usage and eHealth Literacy of Patients in an Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Clinic

Abstract

Objectives: (1) Investigate whether otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (OHNS) outpatients consult health-related online resources and establish baseline levels of perceived eHealth literacy. (2) Determine which resources patients use to investigate their disease and research treating physicians. (3) Explore relationships between perceived eHealth literacy, demographic data, and internet usage. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 79 patients in a tertiary care OHNS outpatient setting between December 2013 and February 2014. The questionnaire recorded (1) demographic data, (2) health-related Internet use, and (3) eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), a tool used to measure perceived eHealth literacy. Results: Seventy-five of 79 patients completed the questionnaire. Seventy-six percent (n = 57) of patients had consulted online resources regarding their disease. The most commonly used resources were prompted by search engine results such as Google (88%, n = 51) and health websites such as WebMD (71%, n = 41). Only 14% of this group used the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck website. Fifty percent (n = 38) of patients consulted online resources regarding their otolaryngologist prior to their visit. The mean eHEALS score was 3.65/5.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.46-3.84). For patients who search for health-related information online, the odds of using dedicated health websites were 90.8% lower for patients with an eHEALS score below the mean versus above the mean ( P = .017; 95% CI, 35%-98.7%). Conclusions: The majority of patients in this study consulted online resources to learn about their disease and physician. In this cohort, the perceived eHealth literacy influenced the type of website consulted. Patients with lower perceived eHealth literacy were less likely to consult dedicated health websites.