Patient use of the Internet for health care information in Switzerland

Swiss Medical Weekly
Jean-Gabriel JeannotJohn-Paul Vader

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine for the first time the frequency of Internet use for medical purposes by patients in Switzerland. In 2001 over a period of one month, 1604 patients at 8 medical practices in Switzerland completed a self-administered questionnaire on their access to the Internet and any search for medical information using this media. The attending physician supplied the patient's diagnosis and information on the severity of the disorder motivating the visit using a separate questionnaire. 46% of the patients included in the study had a personal computer, 33% had an Internet connection and 10% used the Internet to find medical information. Age was inversely associated with the probability of having an Internet access, whereas educational level and command of the English language were factors directly associated with this. Among those patients with access to the Internet, young adults (25 to 44 years) and those with knowledge of the English language searched for medical information significantly more frequently. Furthermore, patients attending urban medical practices and those with a more severe level of disease more often sought health care information on the Internet. The proportion of patients in Switzerlan...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 25, 2009·Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA·Calvin K L Or, Ben-Tzion Karsh

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