Use Of Internet For Health-related Information Research Articles

A preliminary investigation of Cyberchondria and its correlates in a clinical sample of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders attending a tertiary psychiatric clinic

Objectives. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the frequency and presentation of cyberchondria (CYB) in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders (ADs), and major depression disorder (MDD). Methods. Seventy-seven patients (OCD:25, ADs:26, MDD:26) referred to a tertiary psychiatry outpatient clinic and 27 healthy controls (HCs) were included. A ‘working’ definition of CYB was used to measure CYB frequency. CYB severity was measured with the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS). Results. CYB as currently defined was present in just 1.3% of the combined patients’ sample. Using a broader definition (omitting the disability criterion), we found a higher distribution (OCD:12%, ADs:19.2%, MDD:15.4%, HCs:3.7%) and greater CYB symptom severity. Patients with OCD (63.3 ± 18.9) and ADs (63.3 ± 25.9) showed a higher CYB severity, compared with HCs (48.4 ± 9.9, p<.05). In the combined patients’ sample, a positive correlation was found between the CSS scores and measures of health anxiety or hypochondriasis. Higher CYB symptom severity emerged in patients with a positive family history of psychiatric disorders and in those prescribed benzodiazepines or mood-stabilisers. Conclusion. CYB represents a common transdiagnostic syndrome in patients with OCD, ADs, and MDD with a spectrum of severity and indicates a variable burden of illness, supporting the need for specific clinical considerations and interventions. Key points Cyberchondria (CYB) represents a common transdiagnostic syndrome in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depressive disorders. CYB’s frequency as a syndrome of compulsive online health searches associated with an increased anxiety and distress was reported in 10–20% patients. Health anxiety/hypochondriasis showed a strong correlation with CYB. Patients with a positive family history of psychiatric disorders and those prescribed benzodiazepines or mood-stabilisers showed higher CYB symptom severity. Considering the spread of Internet use for health-related information, additional studies investigating CYB in clinical samples are encouraged.

Internet Use for Health-Related Information: Self-Care Agency of Lower Income Persons Living With HIV/AIDS.

Chronically ill persons with a condition requiring self-care activities can benefit from learning from reliable internet sources. Orem's theory of self-care was used to answer the question: Does increasing technical knowledge about reliable internet sites for health information increase self-care agency of low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS (N = 100)? Self-care agency, as measured by the Self-As-Carer Inventory, increased but not significantly, after two educational interventions. We hoped to gain insight into the measurement of self-care agency in our African American and Hispanic population. The only significantly different basic conditioning factor was ethnicity in that non-Hispanic/Latinos scored higher on self-care agency than Hispanic/Latinos; the only significantly different subscale was the Judgment and Decisions Affecting Production of Self-care subscale. Self-care agency remained stable over the 1-week period, pointing to two possible conclusions: Scores accurately reflect self-care agency, and a more intensive, longer intervention may be needed to change self-care agency.

Effect of Health Information Websites on Healthcare Facility Visits in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Introduction: The internet has been widely available with 18 million users in Saudi Arabia alone. The rapid growth of internet use has proven to affect healthcare. The main objective was to determine a correlation between health-related information (HRI) website use &amp; healthcare facility visits in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.Methodology: This study was designed as a survey-based cross-sectional study involving the population of the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Data was collected by distributing a validated survey via an online survey application over a 4-month period. It consisted of demographic data and questions concerning internet use for HRI. Logistic regression was used to establish a correlation between internet use for HRI &amp; healthcare facility visits and to see influencing factors.Results: From the 1095 replies, 788 fit our inclusion criteria. 90% of our subjects have used the internet for HRI using mainly General medical websites 47.9%, Social Media 20.17%, Forums 19.16%, and government websites 12.69%. We found 52.27% have used HRI websites to diagnose &amp; treat their own medical conditions without professional medical advice. Visiting healthcare facilities after reading online HRI occurred 62.2% of the time, while the remaining did not due to being reassured of their condition. Outpatient clinics were most visited at 57.63% followed by ER &amp; Pharmacy visits at 21.11% each. Those who have used the internet for HRI were more likely to visit a healthcare facility than those who haven't (OR(95%CI)) 2.05(1.24-3.36) (p-value&lt;0.05).Conclusions: There seems to be a correlation between HRI website use &amp; healthcare facility visits, which is influenced by the level of education &amp; occupation status.

What explains usage of mobile physician-rating apps? Results from a web-based questionnaire.

BackgroundConsumers are increasingly accessing health-related information via mobile devices. Recently, several apps to rate and locate physicians have been released in the United States and Germany. However, knowledge about what kinds of variables explain usage of mobile physician-rating apps is still lacking.ObjectiveThis study analyzes factors influencing the adoption of and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps. A structural equation model was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model and the literature on health-related information searches and usage of mobile apps. Relationships in the model were analyzed for moderating effects of physician-rating website (PRW) usage.MethodsA total of 1006 randomly selected German patients who had visited a general practitioner at least once in the 3 months before the beginning of the survey were randomly selected and surveyed. A total of 958 usable questionnaires were analyzed by partial least squares path modeling and moderator analyses.ResultsThe suggested model yielded a high model fit. We found that perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the Internet to gain health-related information, the sociodemographic variables age and gender, and the psychographic variables digital literacy, feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general, patients’ value of health-related knowledgeability, as well as the information-seeking behavior variables regarding the amount of daily private Internet use for health-related information, frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past, and attitude toward PRWs significantly affected the adoption of mobile physician-rating apps. The sociodemographic variable age, but not gender, and the psychographic variables feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general and patients’ value of health-related knowledgeability, but not digital literacy, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. Frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past and attitude toward PRWs, but not the amount of daily Internet use for health-related information, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. The perceived usefulness of the Internet to gain health-related information and the amount of daily Internet use in general did not have any significant effect on both of the endogenous variables. The moderation analysis with the group comparisons for users and nonusers of PRWs revealed that the attitude toward PRWs had significantly more impact on the adoption and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps in the nonuser group.ConclusionsImportant variables that contribute to the adoption of a mobile physician-rating app and the willingness to pay for it were identified. The results of this study are important for researchers because they can provide important insights about the variables that influence the acceptance of apps that allow for ratings of physicians. They are also useful for creators of mobile physician-rating apps because they can help tailor mobile physician-rating apps to the consumers’ characteristics and needs.

O perfil de uso da Internet entre moradores de uma comunidade de baixa renda em um posto de saúde no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

The Internet has revolutionized how people communicate and access information. As this technology becomes increasingly widespread and affordable around the world, it is fundamental to understand how and why people access information online and the role it plays in daily life. Gaps in both Internet access and literacy may further polarize socioeconomic groups. This study sought to create a community profile on Internet use and health-seeking behavior in a low-income population. Researchers conducted both oral questionnaires (n=102) and qualitative interviews (n=17) at a public primary health clinic that caters to a nearby slum complex, during a four-week time period. Of all participants, 60.8% reported using the Internet. The study found that Internet use for health-related information and help was present but not prevalent among participants. According to this study, doctor-patient relationships have only partially permeated the virtual sphere, yet knowledge of available online health information is widespread. Results in this study encourage the use of Internet resources in the implementation of community level public health interventions.

Internet Use for Health-Related Information via Personal Computers and Cell Phones in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Survey

BackgroundThe Internet is known to be used for health purposes by the general public all over the world. However, little is known about the use of, attitudes toward, and activities regarding eHealth among the Japanese population.ObjectivesThis study aimed to measure the prevalence of Internet use for health-related information compared with other sources, and to examine the effects on user knowledge, attitudes, and activities with regard to Internet use for health-related information in Japan. We examined the extent of use via personal computers and cell phones.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of a quasi-representative sample (N = 1200) of the Japanese general population aged 15–79 years in September 2007. The main outcome measures were (1) self-reported rates of Internet use in the past year to acquire health-related information and to contact health professionals, family, friends, and peers specifically for health-related purposes, and (2) perceived effects of Internet use on health care.ResultsThe prevalence of Internet use via personal computer for acquiring health-related information was 23.8% (286/1200) among those surveyed, whereas the prevalence via cell phone was 6% (77). Internet use via both personal computer and cell phone for communicating with health professionals, family, friends, or peers was not common. The Internet was used via personal computer for acquiring health-related information primarily by younger people, people with higher education levels, and people with higher household incomes. The majority of those who used the Internet for health care purposes responded that the Internet improved their knowledge or affected their lifestyle attitude, and that they felt confident in the health-related information they obtained from the Internet. However, less than one-quarter thought it improved their ability to manage their health or affected their health-related activities.ConclusionsJapanese moderately used the Internet via personal computers for health purposes, and rarely used the Internet via cell phones. Older people, people with lower education levels, and people with lower household incomes were less likely to access the Internet via cell phone. The Internet moderately improved users’ health-related knowledge and attitudes but seldom changed their health-related abilities and activities. To encourage communication between health providers and consumers, it is important to improve eHealth literacy, especially in middle-aged people. It is also important to make adequate amendments to the reimbursement payment system and nationwide eHealth privacy and security framework, and to develop a collaborative relationship among industry, government, and academia.

Editorial: Doralice, I told you so...

The Internet has revolutionized how people communicate and access information. As this technology becomes increasingly widespread and affordable around the world, it is fundamental to understand how and why people access information online and the role it plays in daily life. Gaps in both Internet access and literacy may further polarize socioeconomic groups. This study sought to create a community profile on Internet use and health-seeking behavior in a low-income population. Researchers conducted both oral questionnaires (n=102) and qualitative interviews (n=17) at a public primary health clinic that caters to a nearby slum complex, during a four-week time period. Of all participants, 60.8% reported using the Internet. The study found that Internet use for health-related information and help was present but not prevalent among participants. According to this study, doctor-patient relationships have only partially permeated the virtual sphere, yet knowledge of available online health information is widespread. Results in this study encourage the use of Internet resources in the implementation of community level public health interventions.

Internet Use for Health-Related Purposes Among Greek Consumers

With more than 1 billion Internet users worldwide, the World Wide Web has inevitably made its mark on the global healthcare industry. As a European Union (EU) nation, Greece has not conducted many e-health trend surveys due to the low penetration of the Internet and the continued belief among Greek consumers that the Internet cannot substitute for face-to-face contact with a physician. Yet, the extant literature does reveal a growing trend of Internet use for healthrelated information among Greek consumers over the past decade. The purpose of this study is to survey the extent of Internet use for health'related purposes among a representative sample of Greek consumers. Results indicated that Internet use among Greek consumers is rising in comparison with past surveys. Also, Greek consumers who are young, female, and well-educated seem to also trust health-related information found on the Internet as well as following recommendations they get from online health-related information.