[Use of the internet for health care information: results from a national telephone survey].
OBJECTIVE
The Internet has attracted considerable attention as a means to improve health and health care delivery, but it is not clear how prevalent internet use for health care really is. Available estimates for Germany don't exist. Without accurate estimates of use, it is difficult to focus policy discussions or design appropriate policy activities.


METHODS
2026 individuals aged 16 years or older were interviewed in Germany using computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) in 2001. The sampling frame based on a modified RLD-Design.


RESULTS
Approximately 50% of respondents with Internet access reported using the internet to look for advice or information about health or health care. The internet is differently used by the population for the health care information. There is a higher use rate of men, of younger people, of people with high socio-economic status and of the healthy ones. After controlling in multivariate analysis for the user, merely an significant age effect exists.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of the internet for health care information in Germany is quite different. Questions about consequences remain unanswered. Do the differences increase or do they decrease? And which role does play the health politics? This and other questions could be answered by further studies.
Hüfken
Volker
V
Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf. volker.huefken@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de
Deutschmann
Marc
M
Baehring
Thomas
T
Scherbaum
Werner
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006266:Health Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data