Original Research

Internet health information seeking by primary care patients

AUTHORS

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Noemí E Terrero Ledesma
1 Bachelor of Medicine, Family Physician ORCID logo

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Alberto Nájera
2 PhD, Associate Professor * ORCID logo

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Ricardo Enrique Reolid-Martínez
3 PhD, Family Physician ORCID logo

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Francisco Escobar-Rabadán
4 PhD, Family Physician ORCID logo

AFFILIATIONS

1 Iniesta Healthcare Center, Healthcare Service of Castila-La Mancha (SESCAM) Cuenca, Spain

2 Centre for Biomedical Research, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain

3 Emergency Service, Albacete General Hospital, (SESCAM), Spain

4 Zona IV Healthcare center, Healthcare Service of Castilla-La Mancha (SESCAM), Albacete, Spain

ACCEPTED: 10 July 2022


early abstract:

Background: As patients seek health information more frequently on the Internet, the impact on their health status and their relationship with doctors could be a matter of concern. The objective of this study is to know how frequently rural primary care patients seek health information on the Internet and the factors associated with it.
Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 850 patients aged over 15 years who attended two rural health centers in Cuenca (Spain). Consecutive case sampling was done. The statistical analysis included the description of the variables and a bivariate analysis, and was completed with a logistic regression analysis.
Results: Patients’ median age was 54 years, interquartile range (IR): 39-67; 60.9% were female. Of those surveyed, 49.8% (95%CI: 46.3-53.2) stated seeking the Internet for health information. Statistically significant differences appeared for gender, age, level of education, disease and attendance (p<0.0001). A logistic regression analysis showed an independent relation with health information seeking on the Internet for the variables gender, age, level of education (p<0.0001) and having a chronic disease (p=0.004).
Conclusion: Roughly half the primary care patients in the rural area sought health information on the Internet. Females, young people, those with a higher level of education and a diseases background did so more frequently.