People cautious about internet information
Most people are cautious about the dangers of using health information gleaned from the internet, according to researchers from the University of York.
The researchers, from the department of social policy and social work,
suggest that parents of children with chronic diseases use the internet
as an extra information source and continue to have confidence in health
professionals and in prescribed treatments. Sarah Nettleton, who led
the research, commented: “Our findings suggest that people are
sensible about what they find online and there is not necessarily a need
for an extensive system of kite marks to guarantee the quality of e-health
information. Having said this, we also found that people appreciated
having websites recommended by health professionals.”
The researchers collected data from a survey of 312 households that included
between one and five children with eczema, asthma or diabetes. Most households
(79 per cent) had at least one member who had used the internet, although
only 29 per cent had used it to look for information on child health.
The researchers comment that worries about lay people being misinformed
by poor quality health information have led to proposals for kitemarking
and attempts to draw up guidance on quality assurance mechanisms. “The
development of such guidelines may be misplaced,” say the researchers.
However, in follow-up interviews with 69 parents and 16 children, the
researchers found that most people were not worried about their own ability
to differentiate between useful and poor quality information. “Our
data suggest that patients think only other people may be misled by suspect
health information,” Dr Nettleton said. The researchers, therefore,
plan to analyse interview transcripts to examine how people account for
their own “sensible use” of the internet.
The research was funded by the Economic & Social Research Council. |
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