Information gathering has a measurable effect on decisions about tests and treatments. Some of the information available online may reinforce less adaptive coping strategies (cognitive bias) and reinforce health misconceptions (cognitive error). Online information should be easy to understand, inspire hope, build a trusting relationship with health experts, and put people in control of their health.

There are many websites that allow people to post health questions and get answers from doctors, which may supplement in-office efforts. We found that these online consultations are most common among patients who have not seen a physician, but they also reflect uncertainty and dissatisfaction after seeing a doctor (1). These resources might support a patient’s quest for information and understanding, and the potential for multiple answers from different doctors creates the possibility for an increased breadth of opinions. However, the quality of the information and ability to foster good health are uncertain and need to be evaluated carefully in future studies.

Another study involving patients with an upper-extremity condition revealed that those who sought information online were more educated compared to those with no online information-seeking behavior (2). Education in years and involvement of the dominant upper limb were independently associated with online information-seeking behavior.

As health information seeking is becoming an integral part of the modern day clinical experience, efforts to make online information more appealing and useful to people of all education levels are merited.

Our research on seeking health information online is focusing on several areas:

1. We are evaluating the effectiveness and information quality of online health consultations.
2. We are identifying socio-demographic, condition-related, and psychosocial factors associated with online information-seeking behavior.

References

1. Briet JP, Hageman MG, Blok R, Ring D. When do patients with hand illness seek online health consultations and what do they ask? Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2014 Apr;472(4):1246-50. doi: 10.1007/s11999-014-3461-9. Epub 2014 Jan 18. PubMed PMID: 24442841.
2. Özkan S, Mellema JJ, Nazzal A, Lee SG, Ring D. Online Health Information Seeking in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery. J Hand Surg Am. 2016 Oct 14. pii: S0363-5023(16)30611-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2016.09.006. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27751778.