title: Internet and e-mail use in ENT: a survey of patient usage and satisfaction.
abstract: Nowadays, internet and e-mail are important modes of communication and information. This paper seeks to determine internet usage as a source of health information amongst ENT patients and to investigate whether patients prefer to communicate primarily with the hospital via e-mail. The method used is a questionnaire study and 201 patients attending an ENT clinic completed questionnaires over 2 weeks in December 2010. Of those with internet access (85%), 37% had used it for health information prior to their appointment; 90% rated the information between average and excellent; over half stated they would like doctor-recommended websites. Overall, 8% had previously used e-mail to communicate with healthcare professionals, but 50% stated that they wished to use e-mail in the future. ENT patients are becoming increasingly computer-literate. As healthcare professionals, we must do more to incorporate the internet as a source of reliable healthcare information. Properly implemented, e-mail can become an invaluable method of communication with patients.
authors.affiliation: University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farboud
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trinidade
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kothari
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010036:Otolaryngology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom