Abstract
Background: The Patient Autonomy Act was implemented in Taiwan on 6 January 2019. It is the first patient-oriented act in Taiwan, and also the first special act to completely protect patient autonomy in Asia. Our study aimed to investigate the web resources citizens were able to access on the eve of the implementation of the Patient Autonomy Act in Taiwan. Methods: Patient Autonomy Act-related web resources were searched for by entering 10 related terms individually into the Google search engine in January 2019 and again in April 2019. Search activity data were analyzed using Google Trends. Results: “Advance care planning” and “advance decision” were the most relevant keywords for finding information about the Patient Autonomy Act on the eve of the act’s implementation in Taiwan. The main online information sources were non-governmental websites including news sites and online magazines. The related search volume only increased on the eve of implementation. Conclusions: Even though the Patient Autonomy Act was first published three years before its implementation, the related search volume only increased on the eve of its implementation. Therefore, whether the three-year buffer between its publication and implementation was necessary requires further investigation.
Highlights
We focused on the search results provided by the Google search engine for various related terms, as well as on the search volumes for those terms indicated by Google Trends
The first 50 search results were recorded and classified according to whether the content was related to the Patient Autonomy Act of Taiwan, which was first published on 6 January 2016, and whether the source was from a credible organization
Based on the first 50 results for each of the 10 search terms related to the Patient Autonomy Act when we searched using the Google search engine on 5 January 2019, we found that the terms “advance care planning” and “advance decision” had the strongest relationship with the Patient Autonomy Act, with all of the results (50/50) for each term being related to the act
Summary
Advance Care Planning (ACP) and Patient Autonomy Act in Taiwan. Advance care planning (ACP) is a process in which a person makes decisions for themselves about their own future medical treatment after consulting with healthcare professionals [1]. The Patient Autonomy Act was implemented in Taiwan on 6 January 2019. Our study aimed to investigate the web resources citizens were able to access on the eve of the implementation of the Patient Autonomy Act in Taiwan. Results: “Advance care planning” and “advance decision” were the most relevant keywords for finding information about the Patient Autonomy Act on the eve of the act’s implementation in Taiwan. The related search volume only increased on the eve of implementation. Conclusions: Even though the Patient Autonomy Act was first published three years before its implementation, the related search volume only increased on the eve of its implementation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
