The Internet as a source of medical information. Investigation in a mixed cohort of radiotherapy patients.

BACKGROUND: The widespread use of the internet has influenced patterns of medical information for tumor patients. The present study examines the use of various media and, in particular, the application of the internet, in a mixed cohort of radiotherapy patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing radiotherapy at the University of Würzburg were analyzed simultaneously in May of 2000 using a newly developed 9-item questionnaire. Questions related to the importance of various media for medical information (grading from 0 = unimportant to 2 = very important) and previous internet use. The data was correlated with clinical information from the patients' charts.
RESULTS: In 95% of patients (n = 139) questionnaires were evaluable. Of 8 media, television (mean score 0.94), patient brochure (0.83) and newspaper (0.76) were considered most important for medical information while the internet ranged last (0.24). Whereas 61.2% knew the internet as a source of medical information, only 11.5% had searched the internet themselves and 15.1% had received internet information from family or friends. Only 24.1% from these 2 groups had discussed the information with their physician. The rates of internet use were substantially higher in subgroups with younger age, higher education and palliative treatment.
CONCLUSION: The importance of the medium internet for the information of tumor patients is currently still low but likely to increase based on demographic factors.