Patients’ use of the Internet for pain-related medical information
Introduction
In recent years the Internet has become one of the major sources of medical information. Worldwide 4.5% of all Internet searches are health related [1]. According to a recent Dutch survey 83% of Dutch citizens between 12 and 75 years of age have access to the Internet and 47% of those have used the Internet to obtain medical information [2]. Large amounts of medical information are now widely available on the Internet and easily accessible to those with Internet access. For many people Internet is now their major source of health information. Searches on the Internet are mostly aimed at information and advice about symptoms, disorders and treatments [3]. The Internet allows patients to communicate with fellow-sufferers. Many websites contain forums or provide the opportunity to chat. Other possibilities are on-line doctor consultation, on-line ordering of drugs, and Internet therapy aimed at psychological problems or coping with chronic diseases. The possibilities seem endless and are easily available to large groups of people.
The majority of patients feel the information on the Internet is reliable and of good quality [4]. Physicians on the other hand remain sceptical about the advantages of the Internet as a source of medical information for the layperson. Health professionals are concerned about the quality of the information and fear that those who consult websites for medical information may not be as likely to consult a real doctor when serious health problems arise [5]. A lot of information on the Internet is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. Desperate patients (for instance patients with unexplained chronic pain) may seize whatever information is available, even information concerning unproven treatments or personal opinions of fellow-patients. Information on the Internet is unregulated and it can be difficult to distinguish accurate from inaccurate sources. A lot of information is commercial, but cannot easily be identified as such. Without proper guidance, information on the Internet can be harmful, confusing and overwhelming [6].
For physicians it is important to know whether and how their patients use the Internet for information concerning their health. In a survey of patients of a primary care practice in the United States only a minority (41%) of those using the Internet for health information discussed this information with their doctor [4]. As patients increasingly obtain medical information from the Internet and become active participants in the maintenance of their own health, the doctor–patient relationship changes accordingly [5]. It has been advised that physicians should specifically inquire about their patients’ use of the Internet and assist patients in their search for accurate, reliable and understandable information about their disease [7].
Not much is known about the health-related Internet use of (pain) patients in the Netherlands. The aims of this study were to determine the proportion of patients attending a university pain center who use the Internet to obtain information about their pain problem and to establish how these patients find, evaluate and use this information.
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Design and sample
A self-administered survey on pain-related Internet use was designed and mailed to 200 consecutive new patients attending the Pain Center of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands between May 2006 and October 2006. Patients filled in the survey before their first visit to the Pain Center. The UMCG is a 1339-bed teaching hospital and is situated in the north of the Netherlands. It serves a population of about 2 million people. The UMCG catchment area covers one-third
Characteristics of the sample and response
Of the 200 surveys mailed, 122 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 61%. We found no significant differences in age, sex and referral type (referral for monodisciplinary or multidisciplinary evaluation) between the responders and non-responders.
Mean age of the responders was 51.3 years (S.D. = 14.5, range 15–85) and 58% of the responders were female. Characteristics of the responders are shown in Table 1.
Internet access
Of the respondents 66% had access to the Internet. Respondents who had Internet
Discussion
The present study assessed the extent of Internet access and on-line searching for medical and pain-related information among patients of a Dutch university pain center prior to their first consultation at the Pain Center. The age and sex demographics found in this group do not differ significantly from those found in a previous study among patients of our Pain Center [8]. Women comprise the majority of the respondents and the group has a high mean age. In this regard the respondents in this
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS).
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