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Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation

Background: Previous studies have suggested that patients’ online health information seeking affects their medical consultations and patient-doctor relationships. An up-to-date picture of patients’ online health information-seeking behaviors can inform and prepare frontline health care professionals...

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Main Authors: Azmi Murad, Masrah Azrifah, Engku Alwi, Sharifah Sumayyah, Abdullah, Safarina, Kamaruddin, Azrina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication 2019
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81544/1/Online%20health%20information%20seeking%20and%20information%20quality%20a%20preliminary%20contemplation.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81544/
https://www.ijeat.org/portfolio-item/a2639109119/
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spelling my.upm.eprints.815442022-09-05T04:03:36Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81544/ Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation Azmi Murad, Masrah Azrifah Engku Alwi, Sharifah Sumayyah Abdullah, Safarina Kamaruddin, Azrina Background: Previous studies have suggested that patients’ online health information seeking affects their medical consultations and patient-doctor relationships. An up-to-date picture of patients’ online health information-seeking behaviors can inform and prepare frontline health care professionals to collaborate, facilitate, or empower their patients to access and manage health information found online. Objective: This study explores the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of online health information-seeking behaviors among primary care patients in Hong Kong, and the relations between online health information seeking and electronic health (eHealth) literacy. Methods: Patients attending a university primary care clinic in Hong Kong were asked to complete a questionnaire survey on their demographic backgrounds; health status; frequency and pattern of online health information seeking; contents, sources, and reasons for online health information seeking; and their eHealth literacy. eHealth literacy was measured by the validated eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Regression analyses explored various demographic and behavioral predictors to online health information seeking, and predictors to eHealth literacy. Results: In all, 97.32% (1162/1194) respondents used the internet, of which 87.44% (1016/1162) had used the internet to find health information. Most respondents (65.97%, 665/1008) searched once monthly or more. Few (26.88%, 271/1008) asked their doctor about health information found online, but most doctors (56.1%, 152/271) showed little or no interest at all. The most sought topic was symptom (81.59%, 829/1016), the top reason was noticing new symptoms or change in health (70.08%, 712/1016), the most popular source was online encyclopedia (69.98%, 711/1016), and the top reason for choosing a source was convenience (55.41%, 563/1016). Poisson regression analysis identified high eHEALS score, fair or poor self-rated health, having a chronic medical condition, and using the internet several times a day as significant predictors of online health information seeking. Multiple regression analysis identified lower age, better self-rated health, more frequent internet use, more frequent online health information seeking, and more types of health information sought as significant predictors to higher eHealth literacy. Conclusions: Online health information seeking is prevalent among primary care patients in Hong Kong, but only a minority shared the information with doctors. Websites were chosen more for convenience than for accuracy or authoritativeness. Doctors should recognize patients’ online health information-seeking behavior, and facilitate and empower them to search for high-quality online health information. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication 2019-10 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81544/1/Online%20health%20information%20seeking%20and%20information%20quality%20a%20preliminary%20contemplation.pdf Azmi Murad, Masrah Azrifah and Engku Alwi, Sharifah Sumayyah and Abdullah, Safarina and Kamaruddin, Azrina (2019) Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 9 (1). pp. 321-326. ISSN 2249-8958 https://www.ijeat.org/portfolio-item/a2639109119/
institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
building UPM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Putra Malaysia
content_source UPM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://psasir.upm.edu.my/
language English
description Background: Previous studies have suggested that patients’ online health information seeking affects their medical consultations and patient-doctor relationships. An up-to-date picture of patients’ online health information-seeking behaviors can inform and prepare frontline health care professionals to collaborate, facilitate, or empower their patients to access and manage health information found online. Objective: This study explores the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of online health information-seeking behaviors among primary care patients in Hong Kong, and the relations between online health information seeking and electronic health (eHealth) literacy. Methods: Patients attending a university primary care clinic in Hong Kong were asked to complete a questionnaire survey on their demographic backgrounds; health status; frequency and pattern of online health information seeking; contents, sources, and reasons for online health information seeking; and their eHealth literacy. eHealth literacy was measured by the validated eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Regression analyses explored various demographic and behavioral predictors to online health information seeking, and predictors to eHealth literacy. Results: In all, 97.32% (1162/1194) respondents used the internet, of which 87.44% (1016/1162) had used the internet to find health information. Most respondents (65.97%, 665/1008) searched once monthly or more. Few (26.88%, 271/1008) asked their doctor about health information found online, but most doctors (56.1%, 152/271) showed little or no interest at all. The most sought topic was symptom (81.59%, 829/1016), the top reason was noticing new symptoms or change in health (70.08%, 712/1016), the most popular source was online encyclopedia (69.98%, 711/1016), and the top reason for choosing a source was convenience (55.41%, 563/1016). Poisson regression analysis identified high eHEALS score, fair or poor self-rated health, having a chronic medical condition, and using the internet several times a day as significant predictors of online health information seeking. Multiple regression analysis identified lower age, better self-rated health, more frequent internet use, more frequent online health information seeking, and more types of health information sought as significant predictors to higher eHealth literacy. Conclusions: Online health information seeking is prevalent among primary care patients in Hong Kong, but only a minority shared the information with doctors. Websites were chosen more for convenience than for accuracy or authoritativeness. Doctors should recognize patients’ online health information-seeking behavior, and facilitate and empower them to search for high-quality online health information.
format Article
author Azmi Murad, Masrah Azrifah
Engku Alwi, Sharifah Sumayyah
Abdullah, Safarina
Kamaruddin, Azrina
spellingShingle Azmi Murad, Masrah Azrifah
Engku Alwi, Sharifah Sumayyah
Abdullah, Safarina
Kamaruddin, Azrina
Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation
author_facet Azmi Murad, Masrah Azrifah
Engku Alwi, Sharifah Sumayyah
Abdullah, Safarina
Kamaruddin, Azrina
author_sort Azmi Murad, Masrah Azrifah
title Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation
title_short Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation
title_full Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation
title_fullStr Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation
title_full_unstemmed Online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation
title_sort online health information seeking and information quality: a preliminary contemplation
publisher Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication
publishDate 2019
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81544/1/Online%20health%20information%20seeking%20and%20information%20quality%20a%20preliminary%20contemplation.pdf
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/81544/
https://www.ijeat.org/portfolio-item/a2639109119/
_version_ 1743108536148164608
score 13.211869

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