Consumer Assessment - Part 1: Interview Schedule and Data Collection/ Alanna Schauer

Have you used the internet to look up information about a physical illness?

Have you used the internet to look up information about a mental illness?

Have you ever participated in an online support group?

Have you ever used the Internet to prepare a list of questions for doctor?

Have you ever used the Internet prior to office visit?

Did you use the Internet to locate health information after a visiting with a healthcare provider?

Have you ever communicated with your physician by email?

Have you ever researched medications on line?

Have you ever bought medications or vitamins online?

Have you ever asked for advice from an online physician?

Have you ever researched information on a sensitive topic?

Do you have a set of medical Web sites you use to retrieve healthcare-related information?

Comparative Results from Readings and Survey

Questions	Results from Eysenbach  Reading	Results from Campbell Reading	Results from Interview/Survey
Have you used the internet to look up information about a physical illness?	91%	86%	100%
Have you used the internet to look up information about a mental illness?	26%		90%
Have you ever participated in an online support group?	9%		0%
Have you ever used the Internet to prepare a list of questions for the doctor?		34.60%	40%
Have you ever used the Internet prior to a physician's office visit?		44.20%	60%
Did you use the Internet to locate health information after a visiting with a healthcare provider?		36.50%	70%
Have you ever communicated with your physician by email?	9%		40%
Have you ever researched medications on line?		31%	90%
Have you ever bought medications or vitamins online?	10%		20%

Analysis

            The first question about using the internet to look up information about a physical illness had similar percentages to the results of the required readings. The survey group was one hundred percent for using the internet to look up information about a physical illness. The statistics from both readings were ninety-one and eighty-six percent each. The results of the comparison were statistically close. The results provide support to the percentages stated in the readings.  The question of specific medical web sites used to retrieve healthcare-related information resulted in nearly equal results of forty-eight and fifty percent. The survey question supported the results obtained from the readings. The results obtained from surveying the sample of ten people about making a list of question for the physician from the internet yielded a very close result.  Thirty-four, point six percent from the readings and forty percent from the survey produce a very narrow margin of difference.

            The questions about purchasing vitamins or medications online, asking advice from an online physician, and participating in an online support group had results that were close in comparison with a minimal margin of error. Two survey questions (participating in an online support group and asking advice from an online physician) yielded zero percent. The class readings obtained nine percent for the online support group and ten percent for the asking advice from an online physician. These results are statistically similar. The last question about purchasing medications online yielded a twenty percent results from the survey as compared to the ten percent from the articles.  This is fifty percent difference and has statistical significance. Medications and vitamin purchases online are a common concept currently but not twelve years ago.

            Several questions were outliers from the results given in the class articles. In the survey, asking about researching information on a sensitive topic resulted in ninety percent stating they did seek out information on sensitive matters when the class articles stated the results were sixteen percent. Another question was researching medications online, which surveyed at ninety percent but was stated to be thirty-one percent. This is a significant disparity explained by the large difference in timeframe.  There was not a lot of information about medication available on the internet for laypersons in 2005. The same goes for searching out mental health issues.  Now we are capable of gaining patient education and signs and symptoms of mental health problems online but this was not available in 2001 or 2005 to this level for non-medical consumers.

            The answer may be because the information from Eysenbach (2001) was published in 2001 and Campbell's (2005) in 2005 and now the internet has become a standard tool in seeking health information in 2013. Many more people are searching all types of information on the internet especially with the advent of smart phone technology. It is simpler to gain access to the internet and allows greater volume of people to use simultaneously and without a large financial outlay. With high-speed internet and fiberoptic cable, capacity for information search has exploded and enabled more people to utilize the internet.  

            The survey sample was five women and five men to eliminate gender disparity. The ages of the survey group were from twenty years of age until sixty-five. The median age was thirty-one and a half. The surveyors being on the lower end of the age spectrum facilitates frequent use of the internet and therefore higher percentages with internet use. Another aspect of the survey group was whether they had children with illnesses or they themselves have had illness. Fifty percent of the survey group had children and additional twenty percent had illness themselves and therefore have used the internet for various information seeking issues. This would encourage more frequent searches and information seeking then person with no current health issues.

                                                     Learning Statement

            The writer learned that people have really adopted the functions of the internet and the autonomy it provides in obtaining health information. They have incorporated the internet as part of the tools utilized in their medical plan and future treatment modalities. The internet provides freedom to learn and manage their health as they desire. The writer learned that the statistics presented in the readings have expanded and are much higher as the years advance. These numbers will continue to grow, as the internet usage will continue to be a vital tool in healthcare education and management

                                                           Conclusion

The internet can assist in disseminating health information to the public and improve health information education. Many websites available attempt to educate the public with illness management, diet education, and Chat rooms. Some professionals feel the internet does not provide quality information but other feel it compares equally to the information provided by the media. Studies are not helpful guides because they are not consistent or do not use the same conceptual framework and therefore have no external validity or generalization. "The rapid development of medical information on the Internet raises the issue of its quality and of potential dangers related to its erroneous or unsuitable use," (Benigeri & Pluye, 2003, pg. 382).                                              

                                                         References

Benigeri, M., & Pluye, P. (2003). Shortcomings of health information on the internet. Oxford Journals, 18(4), Retrieved from http://heapro.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/4/381.full

Campbell, R. J. (2005). Consumer informatics: Elderly persons and the internet. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 2(2), Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2047318/pdf/phim0002-0002.pdf

Eysenbach, G. (2001). Consumer health informatics. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/eysen/eysenbach-consumer-health-informatics