Advice from a medical expert through the Internet on queries about AIDS and hepatitis: analysis of a pilot experiment.
BACKGROUND
Advice from a medical expert on concerns and queries expressed anonymously through the Internet by patients and later posted on the Web, offers a new type of patient-doctor relationship. The aim of the current study was to perform a descriptive analysis of questions about AIDS and hepatitis made to an infectious disease expert and sent through the Internet to a consumer-oriented Web site in the Spanish language.


RESULTS
Questions were e-mailed and the questions and answers were posted anonymously in the "expert-advice" section of a Web site focused on AIDS and hepatitis. We performed a descriptive study and a temporal analysis of the questions received in the first 12 months after the launch of the site. A total of 899 questions were received from December 2003 to November 2004, with a marked linear growth pattern. Questions originated in Spain in 68% of cases and 32% came from Latin America (the Caribbean, Central America, and South America). Eighty percent of the senders were male. Most of the questions concerned HIV infection (79%) with many fewer on hepatitis (17%). The highest numbers of questions were submitted just after the weekend (37% of questions were made on Mondays and Tuesdays). Risk factors for contracting HIV infection were the most frequent concern (69%), followed by the window period for detection (12.6%), laboratory results (5.9%), symptoms (4.7%), diagnosis (2.7%), and treatment (2.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm a great demand for this type of "ask-the-expert" Internet service, at least for AIDS and hepatitis. Factors such as anonymity, free access, and immediate answers have been key factors in its success.
Marco
Javier
J
Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. Javier.marco@elmundo.es
Barba
Raquel
R
Losa
Juan E
JE
de la Serna
Carlos Martínez
CM
Sainz
María
M
Lantigua
Isabel Fernández
IF
de la Serna
Jose Luis
JL
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003253:Consultants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007802:Language; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013030:Spain