E-dermatology: emails about dermatological diseases on the Internet.

Today, it is very easy to access information for both doctors and patients thanks to the Internet. The number of websites including health information is increasing day by day. This study was targeted to retrospectively investigate the dermatological questions received by the free consultation page of the health site for IsNet customers. The patients were assessed on the aspects of age and sex. The diseases were classified by the subject of the questions emailed and on what the patient would like to learn. It was also assessed whether the patient had seen a doctor before sending the email. The responses of the dermatologist were also classified as information on the disease and the treatment. A total of 607 questions were examined. One hundred and thirteen male and 69 female patients disclosed their sexes. Also, only 208 patients stated their age and the mean age was 29.3 years. Four hundred and sixty questions were related to the emailer. The questions usually asked were about treatment and requests for comprehensive information about the disease. The diseases most frequently asked about were: acne, hair diseases, pruritus, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, superficial mycoses and vitiligo. Most responses were related to general information on diagnosis and treatment options. The Internet is frequently preferred for its speed; therefore, users do not give detailed information because it is not required. These results show there are differences in the intentions of our Internet users and the aims of our health website. In order to conduct these kinds of services more efficiently, preparing special forms would be useful. These data can be beneficial in the development of e-medicine programs.