Use of the Internet for Health Information Among Primary Care Patients in Rural West Texas

ObjectivesTo examine patients’ accounts of their use of the internet before seeing a general practitioner (GP) using thematic analysis of semistructured interviews.DesignQualitative semistructured interview study with transcripts analysed thematically.SettingPrimary care patients consulting with 10 GPs working at 7 GP practices of varying sizes and at a range of locations around London and the Southeast of England.Participants28 adult patients: 16 women and 12 men ranging in age from 18 to 75 from a range of self-defined ethnic backgrounds. Participants were selected based on instances when the patients reported having used the internet before the consultation, when patients referred to the internet in the consultation or when the physician used the internet or made reference to it during the consultation.ResultsPatients report that they can find health information online that they believe is reliable and helpful for both themselves and their GP. However, they report uncertainty about how to share internet-based findings and reluctance to disclose their efforts at researching health issues online for fear of appearing disrespectful or interfering with the flow of the consultation.ConclusionsDespite the democratisation of access to information about health due via the internet, patients continue to experience their use of the internet for health information as a sensitive and potentially problematic topic. The onus may well be on GPs to raise the likelihood (without judgement) that patients will have looked things up before consulting and invite them to talk about what they found.

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Health information needs, sources, and barriers of primary care patients to achieve patient-centered care: A literature review

Health Informatics Journal ◽

10.1177/1460458215602939 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 992-1016 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

Martina A Clarke ◽

Joi L Moore ◽

Linsey M Steege ◽

Richelle J Koopman ◽

Jeffery L Belden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Information ◽

Information Search ◽

Information Needs ◽

Information Sources ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Information Access ◽

The Internet ◽

Common Information ◽

Primary Care Patients

To synthesize findings from previous studies assessing information needs of primary care patients on the Internet and other information sources in a primary care setting. A systematic review of studies was conducted with a comprehensive search in multiple databases including OVID MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus. The most common information needs among patients were information about an illness or medical condition and treatment methods, while the most common information sources were the Internet and patients’ physicians. Overall, patients tend to prefer the Internet for the ease of access to information, while they trust their physicians more for their clinical expertise and experience. Barriers to information access via the Internet include the following: socio-demographic variables such as age, ethnicity, income, education, and occupation; information search skills; and reliability of health information. Conclusion: Further research is warranted to assess how to create accurate and reliable health information sources for both Internet and non-Internet users.

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Parental use of the Internet to seek health information and primary care utilisation for their child: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/1471-2458-8-300 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Gauthier Bouche ◽

Virginie Migeot

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Information ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

The Internet ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Utilisation ◽

Use Of The Internet

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More than technology and access: primary care patients' views on the use and non-use of health information in the Internet age

Health & Social Care in the Community ◽

10.1111/j.0966-0410.2004.00473.x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 102-110 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Anne Rogers ◽

Nicola Mead

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Information ◽

The Internet ◽

Internet Age ◽

Primary Care Patients

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Health Information Accessed on the Internet: The Development in 5 European Countries

International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications ◽

10.1155/2012/297416 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-3 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Per Egil Kummervold ◽

Rolf Wynn

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Major Part ◽

Information Access ◽

European Countries ◽

Northern Europe ◽

The Internet ◽

Continuous Growth ◽

Media Source ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

Near Future

The aim of this study was to summarize and analyse findings from four prior studies on the use of the Internet as a source of health information in five European countries (Norway, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Portugal). A cross-study comparison of data was performed. All the studies included fit with a trend of a sharp and continuous growth in the use of the Internet for health information access in the major part of the last decade. Importantly, the Internet has become an important mass media source of health information in northern Europe. While the use of the Internet for health information is somewhat less common in the south European countries, its use is also clearly increasing there. We discuss the advantages of cross-study comparisons of data and methodological challenges. As the use of the Internet for health information is likely to peak in some countries in the near future, new population surveys on health information access should focus more on the details of information that is accessed and which sites that are most used and trusted.

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Use of the internet for health information: A study of Australians and New Zealanders

Informatics for Health and Social Care ◽

10.1080/17538150903102448 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 149-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Robin Gauld ◽

Sheila Williams

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

The Internet ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

New Zealanders

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Protocol paper for the ‘Harnessing resources from the internet to maximise outcomes from GP consultations (HaRI)’ study: a mixed qualitative methods study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024188 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. e024188

Author(s):

Maureen Seguin ◽

Laura Hall ◽

Helen Atherton ◽

Rebecca Barnes ◽

Geraldine Leydon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Current Evidence ◽

The Internet ◽

Online Health Information ◽

Online Information ◽

Wide Range ◽

Patient Questionnaires ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

Questionnaire Studies

IntroductionMany patients now turn to the internet as a resource for healthcare information and advice. However, patients’ use of the internet to manage their health has been positioned as a potential source of strain on the doctor–patient relationship in primary care. The current evidence about what happens when internet-derived health information is introduced during consultations has relied on qualitative data derived from interview or questionnaire studies. The ‘Harnessing resources from the internet to maximise outcomes from GP consultations (HaRI)’ study combines questionnaire, interview and video-recorded consultation data to address this issue more fully.Methods and analysisThree data collection methods are employed: preconsultation patient questionnaires, video-recorded consultations between general practitioners (GP) and patients, and semistructured interviews with GPs and patients. We seek to recruit 10 GPs practising in Southeast England. We aim to collect up to 30 patient questionnaires and video-recorded consultations per GP, yielding up to 300. Up to 30 patients (approximately three per participating GP) will be selected for interviews sampled for a wide range of sociodemographic characteristics, and a variety of ways the use of, or information from, the internet was present or absent during their consultation. We will interview all 10 participating GPs about their views of online health information, reflecting on their own usage of online information during consultations and their patients’ references to online health information. Descriptive, conversation and thematic analysis will be used respectively for the patient questionnaires, video-recorded consultations and interviews.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been granted by the London–Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee. Alongside journal publications, dissemination activities include the creation of a toolkit to be shared with patients and doctors, to guide discussions of material from the internet in consultations.

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