title: Patients' drug-information needs: a brief view on questions asked by telephone and on the Internet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare patient characteristics and types of questions from individuals who consulted a toll-free telephone number with individuals who consulted a free information site on the Internet.
  
  
  METHODS
  Characteristics of all individuals and the questions they asked on both services in the month of February 2000 were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were several differences between individuals who consulted both services. Individuals who asked questions through the Internet were younger and consisted of a relatively higher percentage of men than individuals who used the telephone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Different services can meet the needs of different patient groups.
authors.affiliation: SIR Institute for Pharmacy Practice Research, Theda Mansholtstraat 5B, 2331 JE Leiden, The Netherlands. sir@stevenshof.nl
authors.forename: Marcel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bouvy
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Berkel
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: de Roos-Huisman
authors.forename: Ronald H B
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Meijboom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013689:Telephone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data