Patients use Internet to find health info
Develop strategies to help with Internet searches
Use of the Internet has exploded in the past 10 years in all areas: retail, communications, research, socialization, and even health information. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, data show that 51% of American adults living with chronic disease have looked online for information about a specific disease, a certain medical procedure, prescription or over-the-counter drugs, or health insurance.1 The study also found that 66% of adults who report no chronic conditions use the Internet to gather health information.
The most important thing a health educator needs to remember is not to be defensive when a patient appears with a folder full of "research" he or she has done, says Dawn B. Adams, MSN, RN, CCRN, clinical nurse specialist at the DeKalb Quality Institute of DeKalb Medical in Decatur, GA. "Patients are not questioning your knowledge or the care recommended by the physician, but they are trying to participate in their care," she says.
Patients turn to the Internet for health information for various reasons, says Adams. "Some patients don't want to go to another doctor for a second opinion, but they do want to see if the diagnosis or treatment recommended by the physician makes sense," she says. "They also use the Internet to develop lists of symptoms or concerns that they might forget to discuss when they see the doctor," she says.
Patients also use the Internet to decipher the medical jargon used by health professionals, points out Adams. "Patients are often intimidated by health care professionals, because they don't know what some of the words we use mean; and they are afraid to interrupt us to ask their meaning," she says. The Internet gives them an opportunity to check several sources, look up definitions, and re-read information to make sure they know what questions to ask, she adds.
Some people use the Internet to find questions to ask when deciding on a hospital they want to use, says Jamie S. Ray, RN, IBCLC, manager of obstetrical community education at DeKalb Medical. "The most common questions I receive from parents in my classes relate to C-section rates," she says. "I'm cautious when I answer this question, because most people don't know how to put information such as this in context," she says. Answer the question but provide other information as well in these situations, she says. For example, Ray will suggest to parents-to-be to ask what type of services the hospital provides in addition to asking C-section rates. "Hospitals that provide higher-level care for high-risk mothers and babies may have higher rates due to the need for the procedure to protect the health of both mother and baby," she explains to patients.
The key is not to be defensive and to ask probing questions to find out where they got their information, says Ray. "When parents-to-be talk about natural childbirth and the dangers of epidural anesthesia or episiotomies, I usually find out that they have been reading websites that promote natural birth," she says. Although Ray doesn't discourage parents from choosing a natural birth, she points out the bias of the website and encourages parents to view other sites that are evidence-based and that present information on all options for birth, so they will be fully educated.
Determining the source of the patient's information is critical, says Mona Swinehart, RN, OCN, cancer information resource nurse at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, CA. "I answer about 50 calls each week from patients, and no more than one call will be from someone who hasn't been reading information on the Internet," she says. "I can't offer them advice on treatment, but I will send them links to American Cancer Society or other safe sites that offer the information they are seeking," she says.
Different types of websites
It is good that patients are looking for information, because it empowers them and makes them feel involved in their care, says Swinehart. While fielding calls from patients, Swinehart is searching the Internet for sites that the caller can use. "I don't tell callers that the treatment they've discovered during their search is pure quackery, but I do encourage them to review reputable sites," she says. "I also spend time educating them on the difference between evidence-based information, personal opinion, and advertising."
Although patients have used the Internet for health information for many years, the biggest shift recently has been the growing use of social media to find information, says Lina Mayorga, MPH, CHES, program evaluator and health educator at City of Hope. "A Facebook page might actually be an advertisement for a medication, and a blog may be one person's opinion that is not based on fact," she says. Finding an online support group or reading the blog of someone who has experienced the same illness can be beneficial for many patients, but it is important to remind patients that every person is different; and what worked for one person may not be appropriate for other people, she says.
Because there is so much information on the Internet, the numbers of people accessing and trusting what they find is increasing, says Mayorga. She now includes a 20-minute segment on how to find reputable websites in her patient education seminars on specific topics such as pain or symptom management or her new patient orientation session. "I've received good feedback from patients as well as physicians and other members of the care team that patients are finding reliable information and are prepared with good questions for their caregivers."
Reference
1. Fox S, Purcell C. "Chronic Disease and the Internet." Pew Internet & American Life Project, Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. 2010.
Sources
Dawn B. Adams, MSN, RN, CCRN, Clinical Nurse Specialist, DeKalb Quality Institute, DeKalb Medical, 2701 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033. Telephone: (404) 501-5896. Fax: (404) 501-1105. E-mail: [email protected].
Lina Mayorga, MPH, CHES, Program Evaluator/Health Educator, Department of Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope Medical Center, 1500 Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010. Telephone: (626) 256-4673, ext. 64053. E-mail: [email protected].
Jamie S. Ray, RN, IBCLC, Manager, OB Community Education, Women & Infants Service, DeKalb Medical, 2701 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033. Telephone: (404) 501-3050. E-mail: [email protected].
Mona Swinehart, RN, OCN, Cancer Information Resource Nurse, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center, City of Hope Medical Center, 1500 Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010. Telephone: (626) 256-4673, Ext. 60076. Fax: (626) 930-5499.
Use of the Internet has exploded in the past 10 years in all areas: retail, communications, research, socialization, and even health information. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, data show that 51% of American adults living with chronic disease have looked online for information about a specific disease, a certain medical procedure, prescription or over-the-counter drugs, or health insurance.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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