Patients retrieving additional information via the Internet: a trend analysis in a Swedish population, 2000-05.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the trends over five years for patients' seeking online additional health information about their disease/health problem to what the doctor has been giving, and investigate any differences in information-seeking behaviour according to age, gender, self-perceived health status, living area, and type of medical encounter.


METHODS
Data from three independent surveys conducted in 2000, 2002, and 2005 of a population with a recent experience of outpatient care[n]typesetter: please remove blue shading here and elsewhere[/n], including 24,800 respondents aged between 20 and 95, were analysed in a trend analysis and a logistic regression regarding background factors that may influence the seeking behaviour.


RESULTS
During the study period, there was a significant increase in Internet use in most age groups. The total use among men 20-95 years old increased from 7% in 2000 to 18% in 2005 and from 9% to 25% for women respectively. The predictors for using the Internet as a source of information were: age, gender, self-perceived health status, living area, and the type of medical encounter (first or repeated). In 2005, women aged 20-49 used the Internet as a source to a significantly greater extent than men, even when all background factors were controlled for (OR 1.46 and CI 1.21-1.77).


CONCLUSIONS
Swedish patients, especially the young and middle-aged, are to a substantial degree using the Internet to gather additional information on their disease. The benefits of this increase include more informed patients; however, there are inherent quality issues that require strategies for ensuring public access to high-quality health information online.
Rahmqvist
Mikael
M
Center for Medical Technology Assessment, Department of Health and Society, Linköpings Universitet, Sweden. mikael.rahmqvist@ihs.liu.se
Bara
Ana-Claudia
AC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden