A study of Internet searches for medical information in dermatology patients: The patient-physician relationship.

BACKGROUND

The use of the Internet to search for medical information is considered by some physicians as an invasion of their medical domain and a reflection of a lack of trust in their advice and recommendations.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this study was to estimate the amount of medical information gathered from the Internet and to establish whether these online searches reflect a lower degree of patient satisfaction.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A survey was conducted among 175 patients seen at the melanoma and psoriasis units of San Cecilio University Hospital in Granada, Spain between May 2010 and December 2011.

RESULTS

Online searches for medical information were performed by 44.4% of patients who returned correctly completed questionnaires. The main reasons given for these searches were to complement appropriate information provided by the physician (67.3%) and to gather information before consultation with the physician (36.5%). Variables associated with the search for medical information on the Internet in the multivariate analysis were a higher educational level, a higher score on two items in the Need for Cognition Scale, and consultation of mass media other than the Internet.

LIMITATIONS: Studies with larger numbers of patients and other diseases, however, are required to confirm these results.

CONCLUSIONS

The search for medical information is a widespread reality among patients with psoriasis and melanoma and it is not associated with a poor relationship with the physician. Dermatologists can play a beneficial role by recommending trustworthy Internet sites during the patient's visit and by promoting the development of pages by scientific societies to provide high-quality information.