A Web Site on Lung Cancer: Who Are the Users and What Are They Looking For?

Linssen, Cilia; Schook, Romane M.; Lammers, Ernst; Festen, J.; Postmus, Pieter E.

doi:10.1097/jto.0b013e31811f472a

Cited by 17 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Thus, those at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus were interested in learning more on the subject both through interactive features and through reading materials. Other studies on the use of Internet-based health information have shown that Internet users prefer the presentation of the information in an interactive format or as animation [24,56]. The fact that those who calculated higher scores remained on the website longer creates opportunities for more targeted information and suggestions for higher risk persons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…However, to ensure that a high quality health website is used to its full potential, an evaluation of its use in a real-life setting seems paramount. While some research on the use of disease information pages exists [24,25], no studies have yet investigated the use of risk calculator websites in real-life setting. To facilitate future development of high-quality risk websites and enhance their public health impact, we analyze the use of a webbased tool to calculate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in the next 5 years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The potential of the Internet for health communication: The use of an interactive on-line tool for diabetes risk prediction

Holmberg

Harttig

Schulze

2011

Patient Education and Counseling

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The potential of the Internet for health communication: The use of an interactive on-line tool for diabetes risk prediction

Holmberg

Harttig

Schulze

2011

Patient Education and Counseling

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“…A study of the launch and development of a Dutch cancer information source found that half of the visitors found the websites through search engines or links from other sites and that the number of accesses increased over time (10). The study also revealed that most visitors were able to find the information they wanted and that caregivers were the most popular visitors (57%).…”

Section: Use Of the Internet In Cancer Patients And Caregiversmentioning

confidence: 76%

Oncology Information on the Internet

Goto

Nagase

2012

Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology

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Owing to new developments in Internet technologies, the amount of available oncology information is growing. Both patients and caregivers are increasingly using the Internet to obtain medical information. However, while it is easy to provide information, ensuring its quality is always a concern. Thus, many instruments for evaluating the quality of health information have been created, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The increasing importance of online search engines such as Google warrants the examination of the correlation between their rankings and medical quality. The Internet also mediates the exchange of information from one individual to another. Mailing lists of advocate groups and social networking sites help spread information to patients and caregivers. While text messages are still the main medium of communication, audio and video messages are also increasing rapidly, accelerating the communication on the Internet. Future health information developments on the Internet include merging patients' personal information on the Internet with their traditional health records and facilitating the interaction among patients, caregivers and health-care providers. Through these developments, the Internet is expected to strengthen the mutually beneficial relationships among all stakeholders in the field of medicine.

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“…The unique quality of the DLIC is that it was set up at the national level and broadly supported by both health care professionals and patient groups. Following its creation, a special section was added to its website—an interactive webpage, called “Ask the physician”, where visitors could anonymously ask an online lung specialist questions and receive an answer within 48 hours [6]. It was after some scepticism from the lung specialists involved in the website’s management and content that this new section was launched [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Surprisingly, the most popular page of the website is the “Ask the Physician” page. Our study group has previously investigated who was visiting the interactive webpage and what the information visitors were looking for [6,8]. Seventy-four percent of the questions (n=1893) were not only asked by lung cancer patients (13%) but also in large numbers by their informal caregivers (61%, eg, family, friends, and loved ones).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Do Patients and Caregivers Seek Answers From the Internet and Online Lung Specialists? A Qualitative Study

Schook¹,

Linssen²,

Schramel³

et al. 2014

J Med Internet Res

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BackgroundSince its launch in 2003, the Dutch Lung Cancer Information Center’s (DLIC) website has become increasingly popular. The most popular page of the website is the section “Ask the Physician”, where visitors can ask an online lung specialist questions anonymously and receive an answer quickly. Most questions were not only asked by lung cancer patients but also by their informal caregivers. Most questions concerned specific information about lung cancer.ObjectiveOur goal was to explore the reasons why lung cancer patients and caregivers search the Internet for information and ask online lung specialists questions on the DLIC’s interactive page, “Ask the Physician”, rather than consulting with their own specialist.MethodsThis research consisted of a qualitative study with semistructured telephone interviews about medical information-seeking behavior (eg, information needs, reasons for querying online specialists). The sample comprised 5 lung cancer patients and 20 caregivers who posed a question on the interactive page of the DLIC website.ResultsRespondents used the Internet and the DLIC website to look for lung cancer–related information (general/specific to their personal situation) and to cope with cancer. They tried to achieve a better understanding of the information given by their own specialist and wanted to be prepared for the treatment trajectory and disease course. This mode of information supply helped them cope and gave them emotional support. The interactive webpage was also used as a second opinion. The absence of face-to-face contact made respondents feel freer to ask for any kind of information. By being able to pose a question instantly and receiving a relatively quick reply from the online specialist to urgent questions, respondents felt an easing of their anxiety as they did not have to wait until the next consultation with their own specialist.ConclusionsThe DLIC website with its interactive page is a valuable complementary mode of information supply and supportive care for lung cancer patients and caregivers.

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A Web Site on Lung Cancer: Who Are the Users and What Are They Looking For?

Cited by 17 publications

References 19 publications

The potential of the Internet for health communication: The use of an interactive on-line tool for diabetes risk prediction

The potential of the Internet for health communication: The use of an interactive on-line tool for diabetes risk prediction

Oncology Information on the Internet

Why Do Patients and Caregivers Seek Answers From the Internet and Online Lung Specialists? A Qualitative Study

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