The information needs of internet users and their requirements for online health information-A scoping review of qualitative and quantitative studies

Evaluation of Educational YouTube Videos for Distal Radius Fracture Treatment

Purpose

Distal radius fractures (DRFs) are one of the most common fractures in adults. Adequate patient education is crucial for adherence to treatment. YouTube is a popular, accessible resource that has become a valuable tool for obtaining health information. The current study evaluated the top 50 YouTube videos on DRF treatment for patient education.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted on YouTube using three searches to obtain 150 videos. Duplicate, nonrelevant, paid, and non-English videos were removed, and the top 50 rank-ordered videos were reviewed and characterized in terms of general (views, likes, video length, and publication date), source (publisher affiliation, presenter type, and target audience), and content (media type, topic coverage, advertisements, and bias) parameters.

Results

Only 56% of videos were directed toward patients versus 40% for health care providers, highlighting a gap in patient-oriented educational content on YouTube. Most (86%) videos included effective visual aids, aligning with best practices for educational videos. Surgical management was overrepresented in 64% of the videos as opposed to nonsurgical management in 34% of videos. Only 31% of patient-oriented videos discussed surgical complications. Home exercises were emphasized in 75% of the videos discussing recovery topics.

Conclusions

Although YouTube has the potential to be an effective resource for disseminating health information to patients, it has several limitations for education in DRF treatment including the lack of patient-oriented educational videos, overrepresentation of surgical treatment, and lack of information on surgical complications. Nonetheless, YouTube may have an important role as a supplementary resource, especially in certain topics such as guiding postoperative recovery with home exercises.

Clinical relevance

This study allows health care providers and content creators to proactively address information gaps identified in educational YouTube videos on DRF treatment. It helps characterize the role of YouTube in supporting the treatment and recovery of patients experiencing DRFs.

A Systematic Quality Assessment of Online Resources on Eyelid Ptosis Using the Modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (mEQIP) Tool

BACKGROUND

Eyelid ptosis is an underestimated pathology deeply affecting patients' quality of life. Internet has increasingly become the major source of information regarding health care, and patients often browse on websites to acquire an initial knowledge on the subject. However, there is lack of data concerning the quality of available information focusing on the eyelid ptosis and its treatment. We systematically evaluated online information quality on eyelid ptosis by using the "Ensuring Quality Information for Patients" (EQIP) scale.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Google, Yahoo and Bing have been searched for the keywords "Eyelid ptosis," "Eyelid ptosis surgery" and "Blepharoptosis." The first 50 hits were included, evaluating the quality of information with the expanded EQIP tool. Websites in English and intended for general non-medical public use were included. Irrelevant documents, videos, pictures, blogs and articles with no access were excluded.

RESULTS

Out of 138 eligible websites, 79 (57,7%) addressed more than 20 EQIP items, with an overall median score of 20,2. Only 2% discussed procedure complication rates. The majority fail to disclose severe complications and quantifying risks, fewer than 18% clarified the potential need for additional treatments. Surgical procedure details were lacking, and there was insufficient information about pre-/postoperative precautions for patients. Currently, online quality information has not improved since COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the urgent requirement for improved patient-oriented websites adhering to international standards for plastic and oculoplastic surgery. Healthcare providers should effectively guide their patients in finding trustworthy and reliable eyelid ptosis correction information.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Does digital infrastructure improve public Health? A quasi-natural experiment based on China's Broadband policy

This study proposed a scheme for improving people's health from the perspective of digital infrastructure construction. We used the China Family Panel Studies conducted between 2010 and 2020 and the digital infrastructure construction marked by the Broadband China policy between 2014 and 2016 as a quasi-natural experiment. We adopted the multi-time difference-in-differences method to identify the causal relationship between digital infrastructure and people's health. We found that digital infrastructure construction significantly improved people's health, and the effect was more prominent among young and middle-aged residents and those with less than a university education. Moreover, digital infrastructure construction improved the utilization of medical services, helped residents develop healthy lifestyles, and increased people's health investments. Additionally, digital infrastructure reduced health inequality among people and promoted health equity. The findings could guide future policies to improve people's health and well-being.

How do parents access, appraise, and apply health information on early childhood allergy prevention? A focus group and interview study

Background

When parents want to make health-related decisions for their child, they need to be able to handle health information from a potentially endless range of sources. Early childhood allergy prevention (ECAP) is a good example: recommendations have shifted from allergen avoidance to early introduction of allergenic foods. We investigated how parents of children under 3 years old access, appraise and apply health information about ECAP, and their respective needs and preferences.

Methods

We conducted 23 focus groups and 24 interviews with 114 parents of children with varied risk for allergies. The recruitment strategy and a topic guide were co-designed with the target group and professionals from public health, education, and medicine. Data were mostly collected via video calls, recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Content analysis according to Kuckartz was performed using MAXQDA and findings are presented as a descriptive overview.

Results

Parents most frequently referred to family members, friends, and other parents as sources of ECAP information, as well as healthcare professionals (HCPs), particularly pediatricians. Parents said that they exchanged experiences and practices with their peers, while relying on HCPs for guidance on decision-making. When searching for information online, they infrequently recalled the sources used and were rarely aware of providers of "good" health information. While parents often reported trying to identify the authors of information to appraise its reliability, they said they did not undertake more comprehensive information quality checks. The choice and presentation of ECAP information was frequently criticized by all parent groups; in particular, parents of at-risk children or with a manifested allergy were often dissatisfied with HCP consultations, and hence did not straightforwardly apply advice. Though many trusted their HCPs, parents often reported taking preventive measures based on their own intuition.

Conclusion

One suggestion to react upon the many criticisms expressed by parents regarding who and how provides ECAP information is to integrate central ECAP recommendations into regular child care counseling by HCPs-provided that feasible ways for doing so are identified. This would assist disease prevention, as parents without specific concerns are often unaware of the ECAP dimension of issues such as nutrition.

Insights from COVID-19: Reflecting on the Promotion of Long-Term Health Policies in China

China announced the Healthy China Initiative (2019-2030) in 2019, an action program aimed to support the country's current long-term health policy, Healthy China 2030, which focuses on public health promotion and health awareness. Following the implementation of the policy, China had the COVID-19 pandemic, which had an influence on both the public's degree of health awareness and the adoption of the HCI. This research examines whether the COVID-19 epidemic has increased public understanding and acceptance of China's long-term health policy. In addition, it analyzes whether the Chinese public's awareness of health policy has been impacted by China's usage of smart healthcare in its response to the pandemic. To correspond to these study aims, we used a questionnaire based on the research questions and recent relevant research. The results of the study, based on an examination of 2488 data, demonstrate that the Healthy China Initiative is still poorly understood. More than 70% of respondents were unfamiliar with it. However, the results imply that respondents are becoming more aware of smart healthcare and that public acceptance of official health policies can be aided by the sharing of knowledge about this. As a result, we examine the situation and draw the conclusion that the spread of cutting-edge health-related technology can enhance the communication of health policy and provide participants and policymakers with fresh insights. Finally, this study also can provide lessons for other countries in the early stages of policy dissemination, particularly health policy advocacy and promotion during epidemics.

Parental COVID-19-related health information practises, sources, evaluations and needs: A qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND

Parents of infants and young children may have specific health information needs and preferences, as they are responsible for their children's health. COVID-19 posed many challenges for families, not least in terms of the constantly updated disease-prevention guidelines. However, little is known about parents' experiences with this unprecedented situation, that is, how and where they seek, use and evaluate COVID-19 (child)-specific health information. We aimed to find out more about this to provide insights to health (information) providers when communicating pandemic information to parents.

METHODS

We conducted semistructured telephone interviews (August to October 2020) with a purposively selected sample of 20 German-speaking and 10 Arabic-speaking parents of children up to 4 years old. Recruitment occurred through multiple channels, including childcare institutions and social media. Qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts illustrates the main differences between the two groups.

RESULTS

By the time the interviews were conducted (mid-2020), some parents reported to seek information less actively or not at all, compared to the beginning of COVID-19. German speakers frequently used Google to obtain information, whereas Arabic speakers mentioned social media (particularly Facebook) as a central source. However, medical providers were the most trusted source for child health. Though determining the credibility of online information was difficult for some parents, others, mostly German speakers (middle-high education), were aware of some author-related criteria. When deciding on information use, parents often rely on their own judgement and gut instinct. Besides the necessity to disseminate information via multiple outlets to reach all parents, Arabic speakers desired audio-visual and translation tools to facilitate understanding.

DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC CONCLUSION

Apart from education, language and knowledge of the health system and of the attributes of credible information may determine its quality and consequent decisions. There seems to be a considerable need to foster knowledge about reliable information sources, a greater understanding of the range of quality criteria and specific support for nonnative speakers, not least to better inform parents' decision-making.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

A parent panel (n = 7) contributed to gathering ideas regarding recruitment, discussing initial results and the choice of topics and questions for a second interview phase.

The Acceptance, Usability, and Utility of a Web Portal for Back Pain as Recommended by Primary Care Physicians: Qualitative Interview Study With Patients

BACKGROUND

An ever-increasing number of patients seek health information via the internet. However, there is an overabundance of differing, often low-quality information available, while a lack of health literacy makes it difficult for patients to understand and assess the quality and trustworthiness of the information at hand. The web portal tala-med was thus conceived as an evidence-based, up-to-date, and trustworthy information resource for lower back pain (LBP), which could be used by primary care physicians (PCPs) and patients during and following consultations for LBP. The current evidence demonstrates that patients with LBP could benefit from web portals. However, the use of such portals by patients remains low, thus limiting their effectiveness. Therefore, it is important to explore the factors that promote or hinder the use of web portals and investigate how patients perceive their usability and utility.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigated the acceptance, usability, and utility of the web portal tala-med from the patient perspective.

METHODS

This qualitative study was based on telephone interviews with patients who had access to the web portal tala-med from their PCP. We used a semistructured interview guide that consisted of questions about the consultation in which patients were introduced to tala-med, in addition to questions regarding patient perceptions, experiences, and utilization of tala-med. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed through framework analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 32 half-hour interviews were conducted with 16 female and 16 male patients with LBP. We identified 5 themes of interest: the use of tala-med by PCPs during the consultation, the use of tala-med by patients, its usability, added values derived from its use, and the resultant effects of using tala-med. PCPs used tala-med as an additional information resource for their patients and recommended the exercises. The patients appreciated these exercises and were willing to use tala-med at home. We also identified factors that promoted or hindered the use of tala-med by patients. Most patients rated tala-med positively and considered it a clear, comprehensible, trustworthy, and practical resource. In particular, the trustworthiness of tala-med was seen as an advantage over other information resources. The possibilities offered by tala-med to recap and reflect on the contents of consultations in a time-flexible and independent manner was perceived as an added value to the PCP consultation.

CONCLUSIONS

Tala-med was well accepted by patients and appeared to be well suited to being used as an add-on to PCP consultations. Patient perception also supports its usability and utility. Tala-med may therefore enrich consultations and assist patients who would otherwise be unable to find good-quality web-based health information on LBP. In addition, our findings support the future development of digital health platforms and their successful use as a supplement to PCP consultations.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR2-10.1186/s12875-019-0925-8.

Exploring enablers and inhibitors of eHealth educational tools: The needs of women searching for HPV and cervical cancer information

Objective

This study explored the information women want to know about HPV and cervical cancer, and the enablers or inhibitors that may contribute to, or prevent, seeking online health information.

Methods

Two focus groups were conducted with women from the general public, followed by interviews with 12 physicians practicing in Saudi Arabia. The data was analyzed by using a thematic analysis approach.

Results

Researchers of this study identified six topics of information that were need-related, ten that were enabling, and six inhibiting subthemes related to online information seeking about HPV and cervical cancer.

Discussion and conclusion

In accordance with the identified themes and sub-themes, we offer recommendations to optimize the health information-seeking task related to HPV and cervical cancer through eHealth educational solutions. User- and expert-based feedback can both strengthen and inform the design, development, and implementation of eHealth interventions.

Utility of a Community-Based Dementia Resource Website: Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND

Many individuals living with dementia want to live in their own homes for as long as possible. To do so, they frequently require assistance with activities of daily living, which is often provided by friends and relatives acting as informal care partners. In Canada, many informal care partners are currently overworked and overwhelmed. Although community-based dementia-inclusive resources are available to support them, care partners often struggle to find them. Dementia613.ca was created to make the process of finding community dementia-inclusive resources simpler and more straightforward by bringing them together in one eHealth website.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to determine if dementia613.ca is meeting the goal of connecting care partners and persons living with dementia to dementia-inclusive resources in their community.

METHODS

A review and assessment of the website was conducted using 3 evaluation methods: web analytics, questionnaires, and task analysis. Google Analytics was used to collect data related to website use over a 9-month period. Data on site content and user characteristics were collected. Furthermore, 2 web-based self-administered questionnaires were developed: one intended for care partners and persons living with dementia, and the other intended for businesses and organizations interested in serving persons living with dementia. Both gathered data on user characteristics and included standard questions used in website evaluations. Responses were collected over a 6-month period. Scenarios, tasks, and questions were developed for the moderated, remote, and task-analysis sessions. These tasks and questions determined how effectively persons living with dementia and their care partners can use dementia613.ca. Overall, 5 sessions were held with persons experiencing moderate cognitive decline and with care partners of persons living with dementia.

RESULTS

This evaluation showed that the idea behind dementia613.ca is strong and appeals to persons living with dementia, their care partners, and the businesses and organizations serving this market. Participants indicated that it is a useful community resource that meets a previously unfulfilled need in the area, and highlighted the benefits of bringing community resources together on 1 website. In our questionnaire, >60% (19/29, 66%) of people living with dementia and their care partners and 70% (7/10) of businesses and organizations agreed that the website made it easier to find relevant dementia-inclusive resources. There is room for improvement; participants indicated that the navigation and search features could be further developed.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that the dementia613.ca model could be used to inspire and guide the creation of dementia resource websites in other regions in Ontario and beyond. The framework behind it is generalizable and could be replicated to help care partners and persons living with dementia find local resources more easily.

Analysis on the Key Influence of Adolescent Health Information Literacy Using Big Data Analysis Technology under Social Network Environment

Purpose/Significance. This paper aims to explore the influence mechanism of adolescent health information literacy on health behavior. Method/Process. 13–19 year olds are taken as the survey objects to investigate their health information literacy through a questionnaire. Health information literacy mainly includes health information needs, acquisition, evaluation, use, and behaviors. A total of 252 adolescents' data were collected in this study, and model testing was performed with the help of regression analysis and structural equation modeling. Conclusion/Results. The results of the study show that adolescents' health information needs, acquisition, evaluation, and application abilities have a positive impact on health behaviors in the social network environment. Emotional responses and individual cognition as intermediate variables play important roles between health information literacy and health behaviors. Health information needs and health information assessments have the highest impact on mental health and social health, respectively. The society should pay special attention to the influence of adolescents' health cognition and anxiety on health behavior in the context of social network.

Online Health Information Seeking for Self and Child: An Experimental Study of Parental Symptom Search

BACKGROUND

Parents often search the web for health-related information for themselves or on behalf of their children, which may impact their health-related decision-making and behaviors. In particular, searching for somatic symptoms such as headaches, fever, or fatigue is common. However, little is known about how psychological and relational factors relate to the characteristics of successful symptom-related internet searches. To date, few studies have used experimental designs that connect participant subjective search evaluation with objective search behavior metrics.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the features of web-based health-related search behaviors based on video-coded observational data, to investigate which psychological and relational factors are related to successful symptom search appraisal, and to examine the differences in search-related outcomes among self-seekers and by-proxy seekers.

METHODS

In a laboratory setting, parents living in Austria (N=46) with a child aged between 0 and 6 years were randomized to search their own (n=23, 50%) or their child's (n=23, 50%) most recent somatic symptom on the web. Web-based activity was recorded and transcribed. Health anxiety, eHealth literacy, attitude toward web-based health information, relational variables, state of stress, participants' search appraisals, and quantitative properties of the search session were assessed. Differences in search appraisals and search characteristics among parents who searched for themselves or their children were examined.

RESULTS

Across both groups, searches were carried out for 17 different symptom clusters. Almost all parents started with Google (44/46, 96%), and a majority used initial elaborated key phrases with >1 search keyword (38/45, 84%) and performed on average 2.95 (SD 1.83) search queries per session. Search success was negatively associated with health anxiety (r_s=-0.39, P=.01), stress after the search (r_s=-0.33, P=.02), and the number of search queries (r_s=-0.29, P=.04) but was not significantly associated with eHealth literacy (r_s=0.22, P=.13). Of note, eHealth literacy was strongly and positively correlated with satisfaction during the search (r_s=0.50, P<.001) but did not significantly correlate with search characteristics as measured by search duration (r_s=0.08, P=.56), number of performed search queries (r_s=0.20, P=.17), or total clicks (r_s=0.14, P=.32). No differences were found between parents searching for their own symptoms and parents searching for their child's symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides exploratory findings regarding relevant dimensions of appraisals for symptom-based information seeking on the web. Consistent with previous literature, health anxiety was found to be associated with poorer search evaluation. Contrary to expectations, eHealth literacy was related neither to search success nor to search characteristics. Interestingly, we did not find significant differences between self-seekers and by-proxy seekers, suggesting similar search and evaluation patterns in our sample. Further research with larger samples is needed to identify and evaluate guidelines for enhanced web-based health information seeking among parents and the general public.

The Quality of Online Information on Cosmetic Injectable Fillers: Current Status

Web-based health information plays an increasingly vital role in spreading health information. Many patients interested in aesthetic surgery study the procedure on the Internet. This study aims to evaluate the quality of online health information on injectable fillers using the modified "Ensuring Quality Information for Patients" (EQIP) tool. Nine different search terms, including "fillers," "fuller cheeks," "wrinkle removal," and "antiwrinkle treatment" were identified and queried on Google. Unique links from the first three pages of each search term were identified and evaluated if the contents were in English language and were for general non-medical public use. A total of 172 websites were analyzed, with a median EQIP score of 20. In total 129 websites belonged to aesthetic practitioners, of which 81 were operated by medical doctors. Eighty-three percent of websites disclosed some forms of postoperative complications, most commonly edema (74%) and bruising (73%). Blindness and tissue necrosis were only mentioned by 12 and 10% of the websites, respectively. The current health information available on injectable fillers is of poor quality. While many do provide some information on risks, the majority of websites fail to disclose severe complications and quantifying risks. This poses a barrier against informed decision-making and may lead to unrealistic expectations. Patient satisfaction and expectations may be improved by developing better online education resources on fillers.