title: [Information tools utilized by outpatients presenting to a female urological clinic and their temporal trend: analysis of 3,480 patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Female urological diseases, including pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, are common in elderly people, but public knowledge about these diseases is limited. We analyzed information tools that patients with female urological disease utilized to acquire information about their diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 3,480 patients who presented to our female urological clinic between January 2005 and December 2008. We conducted a questionnaire survey on what information tools were used for information gathering.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The newspaper was the leading information tool (39.9%), followed by referral from another clinic (17.8%), internet (15.7%), TV (14.8%), recommendation by family or friends (5.5%), books or magazines (3.2%), and informative sessions for the public (0.6%). The temporal trend in the rate of information tool use over the 4 years showed that internet use increased significantly every year (p trend = 0.041) and was the most utilized tool in 2008, along with referral from other clinics. The rate of newspaper or TV use depended on their volumes of the female urological diseases. Additionally, no change over the study period was observed for the rate of internet utilization for patients in their 40s or under; however, it increased in patients in their 50s or over, and patients in their 50s and 60s utilized the internet as often as patients in their 40s or under in 2008.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The newspaper was the most utilized information tool for patients with female urological diseases. However, internet use for gathering disease information is increasing, and the internet may be the most important information tool in the near future.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Urology, Osaka Central Hospital.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahi
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uesaka
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiuchi
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeyama
authors.forename: Naotsugu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichimaru
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D010045:Outpatients; D014570:Urologic Diseases