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. 2023 Jul 24;15(7):e42395.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.42395. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Implications of Public Interest in Colonoscopy: Analysis of Google Trends Data From 12 European Countries

Tomasz Skrzypczak  1 , Anna Skrzypczak  2 , Małgorzata Skrzypczak  3
Affiliations

Implications of Public Interest in Colonoscopy: Analysis of Google Trends Data From 12 European Countries

Tomasz Skrzypczak et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest diseases in the European Union. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard of CRC screening. Analysis of colonoscopy-related Google Trends (GT; Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States) data could provide useful information regarding interest in colonoscopy and potential barriers making patients unwilling to attend screening programs.

Methods: Data were collected using GT for the main search term "colonoscopy" and the two most related queries. Colonoscopy volumes were extracted from the Eurostat database. Due to limited Eurostat data availability, analysis was performed from January 2004 to December 2015 for each of the 12 included countries.

Results: Univariate linear regression analysis demonstrated statistically significant correlations between annual search volumes of "colonoscopy" and the annual number of colonoscopies performed in included countries (R2 = 0.923, P<.001). Trend analysis showed that the cumulative search volumes for "colonoscopy" gradually increased through the analyzed period. The spectrum of the most related queries encompassed "preparation for colonoscopy", "endoscopy", "after endoscopy", "colon", "colonoscopy diet", "virtual colonoscopy", "colonoscopy under anesthesia", "waiting times for colonoscopy" and "colonoscopy price". For eight out of nine queries, statistically significant correlations with procedure volumes were revealed.

Conclusions: GT could be a useful tool in assessing public interest in colonoscopy. Potential barriers that prevent people from attending CRC screening programs were identified. The study demonstrated that the internet has become an important field for CRC screening promotion. GT utility for colonoscopy and CRC screening providers was highlighted. This was the first analysis of GT data in colonoscopy focused on European countries.

Keywords: colonoscopy; colorectal cancer; european union; google trend; google trends healthcare.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The most related queries to "colonoscopy" in 12 analyzed countries
Figure 2
Figure 2. Trends in "colonoscopy" and "colon" search volumes from 2004 to 2015
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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