title: Patient use of the internet for health information.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The internet has become an integral part of our everyday lives, affecting the way we work and communicate. It has also changed the way patients obtain health information. This study measures the extent to which general practice patients use the internet to obtain health information, particularly in relation to the problem(s) they bring to the general practitioner (GP), and whether this differs by patient age, sex, socioeconomic status, rurality and English-speaking background status (ESB).
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was a sub-study of the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program (a continuous national study of general practice activity in Australia).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 2944 patients, 63.4% accessed the internet in the previous month; 28.1% had sought health information online; and 17.1% had obtained information related to problems managed by the GP at that visit. Internet use and online health information seeking was inversely related to age for patients aged 15 years or older. The most socioeconomically advantaged patients were significantly more likely than the most disadvantaged to have obtained health information online. Patient sex, ESB status and rurality did not influence internet use or online health information seeking.
authors.affiliation: BHlthSci/MHlthInformatics, Research Assistant, Family Medicine Research Centre, The University of Sydney, Parramatta, NSW.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult