Internet health information seeking by primary care patients
Introduction: As patients seek health information more frequently on the internet, the impact on their health status and their relationship with doctors could be a matter of concern. The objective of this study is to know how frequently rural primary care patients seek health information on the i...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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James Cook University
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Rural and Remote Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/6585/ |
| _version_ | 1811181634272100352 |
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| author | Noemí Terrero Ledesma Alberto Nájera Ricardo Enrique Reolid-Martínez Francisco Escobar-Rabadán |
| author_facet | Noemí Terrero Ledesma Alberto Nájera Ricardo Enrique Reolid-Martínez Francisco Escobar-Rabadán |
| author_sort | Noemí Terrero Ledesma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction: As patients seek health information more frequently on the internet, the impact on their health status and their relationship with doctors could be a matter of concern. The objective of this study is to know how frequently rural primary care patients seek health information on the internet and the factors associated with it.
Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 850 patients aged over 15 years who attended two rural health centers in Cuenca (Spain). Consecutive case sampling was done. The participants were invited to answer a survey with sociodemographic and clinical aspects, and questions about possible internet searches for health information. The statistical analysis included the description of the variables and a bivariate analysis, and was completed with a logistic regression analysis.
Results: Patients' median age was 54 years, interquartile range 39-67 years; 60.9% were female. Of those surveyed, 49.8% (95% confidence interval 46.3-53.2) stated that they used the internet to seek health information. Statistically significant differences were apparent for gender, age, level of education, disease and attendance (p<0.0001). A logistic regression analysis showed an independent relationship with health information seeking on the internet for the variables gender, age, level of education (p<0.0001) and having a chronic disease (p=0.004).
Conclusion: Roughly half the primary care patients in the rural area sought health information on the internet. Females, young people, those with a higher level of education and a chronic disease background did so more frequently.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:20:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b939b8b419214d5684515d1301c01d5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1445-6354 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:20:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | James Cook University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rural and Remote Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-b939b8b419214d5684515d1301c01d5c2022-12-22T04:32:13ZengJames Cook UniversityRural and Remote Health1445-63542022-10-012210.22605/RRH6585Internet health information seeking by primary care patients Noemí Terrero Ledesma0Alberto Nájera1Ricardo Enrique Reolid-Martínez2Francisco Escobar-Rabadán3Iniesta Healthcare Center, Healthcare Service of Castila-La Mancha (SESCAM) Cuenca, SpainCentre for Biomedical Research, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, SpainEmergency Service, Albacete General Hospital, (SESCAM), SpainZona IV Healthcare center, Healthcare Service of Castilla-La Mancha (SESCAM), Albacete, Spain Introduction: As patients seek health information more frequently on the internet, the impact on their health status and their relationship with doctors could be a matter of concern. The objective of this study is to know how frequently rural primary care patients seek health information on the internet and the factors associated with it. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 850 patients aged over 15 years who attended two rural health centers in Cuenca (Spain). Consecutive case sampling was done. The participants were invited to answer a survey with sociodemographic and clinical aspects, and questions about possible internet searches for health information. The statistical analysis included the description of the variables and a bivariate analysis, and was completed with a logistic regression analysis. Results: Patients' median age was 54 years, interquartile range 39-67 years; 60.9% were female. Of those surveyed, 49.8% (95% confidence interval 46.3-53.2) stated that they used the internet to seek health information. Statistically significant differences were apparent for gender, age, level of education, disease and attendance (p<0.0001). A logistic regression analysis showed an independent relationship with health information seeking on the internet for the variables gender, age, level of education (p<0.0001) and having a chronic disease (p=0.004). Conclusion: Roughly half the primary care patients in the rural area sought health information on the internet. Females, young people, those with a higher level of education and a chronic disease background did so more frequently. https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/6585/doctor–patient relationshipfamily practiceinternetinterviewsprimary careSpain. |
| spellingShingle | Noemí Terrero Ledesma Alberto Nájera Ricardo Enrique Reolid-Martínez Francisco Escobar-Rabadán Internet health information seeking by primary care patients Rural and Remote Health doctor–patient relationship family practice internet interviews primary care Spain. |
| title | Internet health information seeking by primary care patients |
| title_full | Internet health information seeking by primary care patients |
| title_fullStr | Internet health information seeking by primary care patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Internet health information seeking by primary care patients |
| title_short | Internet health information seeking by primary care patients |
| title_sort | internet health information seeking by primary care patients |
| topic | doctor–patient relationship family practice internet interviews primary care Spain. |
| url | https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/6585/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT noemiacuteterreroledesma internethealthinformationseekingbyprimarycarepatients AT albertonaacutejera internethealthinformationseekingbyprimarycarepatients AT ricardoenriquereolidmartiacutenez internethealthinformationseekingbyprimarycarepatients AT franciscoescobarrabadaacuten internethealthinformationseekingbyprimarycarepatients |