Abstract
PurposeGiven that the Internet is important for health-related information (HRI) and the fact that online health information (OHI)–seeking behavior has never been studied in endocrinology, we set out to examine how and why the Internet is utilized for HRI, the frequency of such activity, its impact, future information needs, and the effect of language.MethodsA mainly quantitative, embedded mixed-methods study was performed, employing a questionnaire survey. We included 312 patients (78.4% response rate).ResultsOHI-seeking was reported by 175 patients (56.1%), especially in younger (p = 0.037) and more educated (p = 0.006) patients. OHI-seekers perceived OHI to be high-quality (135, 77.1%) but 104 (59.4%) were unaware of website certification tools. Among OHI-seekers, 63 (36.6%) reported positive behavioral changes after seeking OHI. Only 45 (25.7%) OHI-seekers discussed their gathered information with their endocrinologist. If an interactive e-learning module was available, 194/312 (62.2%) patients expressed willingness to use it, especially those reporting a need for more HRI (p = 0.024). Native speakers were more likely to report that OHI did not meet their information needs (p < 0.001).ConclusionsOHI-seeking by patients attending the endocrinology outpatients is widely practiced. The availability of OHI in the native language and e-learning modules may enhance the utility of the Internet for health information.
Highlights
In modern times, the medical consultation process is regarded as an interaction between the clinician and the patient who agree on a shared decision-making pathway
How the Internet is utilized for health information and perceived reliability The majority of online health information (OHI)-seekers (134, 76.6%) collected their web-based information in preparation for the consultation via search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo, and Yandex)
The preferred language for any additional information was Greek (63, 57.8%), followed by English (23, 21.1%) and dual Greek/English (22, 20.2%). In this first study of OHI-seeking behavior among endocrine patients, we have shown that 56% of such patients consult the Internet for health information prior to consulting their endocrinologist
Summary
The medical consultation process is regarded as an interaction between the clinician and the patient who agree on a shared decision-making pathway. For this to happen, clinicians need to understand patients’ ideas, concerns, and expectations, which, in turn, are affected by the sources of information that the patients have consulted prior to their encounter with the health care professional (HCP) [1]. Patients use individual criteria to filter which websites are worth exploring [13]. We need to comprehend the information needs that drive patients to utilize this medium; why is it that some patients choose not to use this seemingly widely available and easy-to-access resource?
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