Infonomics and breast reconstruction: are patients using the internet?

The World Wide Web provides access to an enormous amount of medical information. In particular, it enables the nonmedical community a chance to better understand breast reconstruction. The purpose of this survey is to determine patient access to the Internet for information related to their breast reconstruction and to evaluate the role of internet-based information in patient education. One hundred six consecutive breast reconstruction patients over a 7-month period were included in the study. All patients were given an anonymous survey querying patient demographics, education, type of reconstruction, internet usage, and how it affected their decision. Data were evaluated and comparisons were made. The average age was 50 years, with the majority of the reconstructions being pedicled TRAM flaps (50%). Ninety-two percent of the patients had internet access, most of them at home (71%). Sixty-eight percent of the patients reported having used the internet for information related to breast reconstruction. The categories searched were procedure (39%), risks/outcome (35%), surgeon (13%), pictures (11%), and hospital (4%). Seventy-two percent found it helpful, 69% easy to understand, and 63% trusted the information. The information they found influenced their decision regarding procedure (53% yes), surgeon (36% yes), and hospital (25% yes). Eighty-one percent felt that it would be useful to communicate with their surgeon via e-mail. Breast-reconstruction patients are using the internet as a research tool. They are influenced by this information on multiple levels. Infonomics is a growing field, and plastic surgeons must take an active role in guiding patients towards accurate online sources and becoming more accessible in the information superhighway.