Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2018 Oct 15;209(8):342-347.
doi: 10.5694/mja17.00889. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Dr Google in the ED: searching for online health information by adult emergency department patients

Anthony M Cocco  1 , Rachel Zordan  2 , David McD Taylor  3 , Tracey J Weiland  4 , Stuart J Dilley  2 , Joyce Kant  4 , Mahesha Dombagolla  4 , Andreas Hendarto  4 , Fiona Lai  4 , Jennie Hutton  2
Affiliations
Observational Study

Dr Google in the ED: searching for online health information by adult emergency department patients

Anthony M Cocco et al. Med J Aust. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence, predictors, and characteristics of health-related internet searches by adult emergency department (ED) patients; to examine the effect of searching on the doctor-patient relationship and treatment compliance.

Design: A multi-centre, observational, cross-sectional study; a purpose-designed 51-item survey, including tools for assessing e-health literacy (eHEALS) and the effects of internet searching on the doctor-patient relationship (ISMII). Setting, participants: 400 adult patients presenting to two large tertiary referral centre emergency departments in Melbourne, February-May 2017.

Outcome measures: Descriptive statistics for searching prevalence and characteristics, doctor-patient interaction, and treatment compliance; predictors of searching; effect of searching on doctor-patient interaction.

Results: 400 of 1056 patients screened for eligibility were enrolled; their mean age was 47.1 years (SD, 21.1 years); 51.8% were men. 196 (49.0%) regularly searched the internet for health information; 139 (34.8%) had searched regarding their current problem before presenting to the ED. The mean ISMII score was 30.3 (95% CI, 29.6-31.0); searching improved the doctor-patient interaction for 150 respondents (77.3%). Younger age (per 10-year higher age band: odds ratio [OR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.91) and greater e-health literacy (per one-point eHEALS increase: OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.06-1.17) predicted searching the current problem prior to presentation; e-health literacy predicted ISMII score (estimate, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.20-0.39). Most patients would never or rarely doubt their diagnosis (79%) or change their treatment plan (91%) because of conflicting online information.

Conclusion: Online health care information was frequently sought before presenting to an ED, especially by younger and e-health literate patients. Searching had a positive impact on the doctor-patient interaction and was unlikely to reduce adherence to treatment.

Keywords: Consumer health information; EHealth; Internet; Physician-patient relations; Technology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types