The National Cancer Institute’s Health Information National Trends Survey [HINTS]: a national cross-sectional analysis of talking to your doctor and other healthcare providers for health information

Abstract

BackgroundThe need to understand preferred sources of health information remains important to providing patient-centered care. The Internet remains a popular resource for health information, but more traditional sources may still be valid for patients during a recent health need. This study sought to understand the characteristics of patients that turn to their doctor or healthcare provider first for a recent health or medical information need.MethodsUsing the national cross-sectional survey, Health Information National Trend Study [HINTS], characteristics of those who sought a doctor or healthcare provider for a recent health information need were compared to other sources. Weighted survey responses from Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 of the HINTS survey were used for multivariable logistic regression.ResultsA total 5,307 patient responses were analyzed. Overall, those who seek a doctor or healthcare provider first for a health need are female, 46–64 years, White non-Hispanic, educated, in good health and users of the Internet. Yet, adjusted logistic regressions showed that those who sought a doctor or healthcare provider first during a recent health information need compared to other sources were most likely to be 65+ years, in poor health, less educated and have health insurance.ConclusionsPatients who seek their doctor or healthcare provider first for health information rather than other sources of information represent a unique population. Doctors or healthcare providers remain an important resource for these patients during recent needs, despite the wide use of the Internet as a source of health information.

How Are Information Seeking, Scanning, and Processing Related to Beliefs About the Roles of Genetics and Behavior in Cancer Causation?

“…Because most people obtain their health information from the Internet (67.6%) or a healthcare provider (15.7%) (Volkman et al, 2014), we only examined trust in these two domains. Information seeking self-efficacy was assessed with the item: “Overall, how confident are you that you could get advice or information about cancer if you needed it?” Response options ranged from [1] not confident at all to [5] completely confident.…”

The Relationship of Health Literacy With Use of Digital Technology for Health Information: Implications for Public Health Practice

“…[37][38][39] The Internet is especially popular as an intervention tool as it can be accessed on various devices including desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. 38,40 Ensuring that people of all health literacy (and eHealth literacy) levels have access to such technology and feel confident using it is important.…”

Transitioning into a digital world: Time for providers to recommend internet health information?

“…2 A more recent study using the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey data found that 68% of responders sought information on the Internet as their first source. 3 Comparatively, only 16% used a physician or health care provider as their first source of health information. 3 Ethical frameworks promoting the principle of autonomy and patient-centered care praise the availability of information and support patients in their desire to become both informed of their illness and active in medical decisions.…”

“…3 Comparatively, only 16% used a physician or health care provider as their first source of health information. 3 Ethical frameworks promoting the principle of autonomy and patient-centered care praise the availability of information and support patients in their desire to become both informed of their illness and active in medical decisions. 4 However, translating this ethical framework into routine clinical practice and sound medical decision making is not so simple.…”