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Jin R, Lim HJ, Hamilton S, Ingledew PA. Viral Disease Goes Viral: Characterizing How Cancer Patients Use Internet Resources for COVID-19 Information. JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER EDUCATION 2023; 38:431-439. [PMID: 35022989 PMCID: PMC8755408 DOI: 10.1007/s13187-022-02136-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the usage of Internet resources for COVID-19 information among cancer patients. Specifically, to understand where patients are seeking information, what topics are most frequently searched, and how physicians and web developers can improve clinical conversations and digital resources, respectively, to support cancer patients' needs. From May to June 2021, cancer patients who were attending follow-up at a tertiary cancer center completed a survey consisting of 28 closed and open-ended questions. Quantitative results were evaluated using descriptive statistics and qualitative responses were evaluated using a grounded-theory approach. Fifty-seven surveys were distributed, and fifty-two surveys were received (91% response rate). The majority of respondents (96%) were Internet users. Seventy percent used the Internet as a source of information about COVID-19 and cancer personally, with another 15% reporting that friends and family accessed online information on their behalf. The vast majority used Google as their choice of search engine, with COVID-19 rates and vaccine information being the most frequently searched topics. Three quarters (74%) considered Internet information easy to understand, and 90% stated that the Internet increased their understanding of COVID-19 and cancer. Only 15% of patients had been recommended online resource(s) by a physician, yet 100% of those patients found the physician-recommended sites useful. Most cancer patients use the Internet to search for COVID-19 information. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) should help guide patients towards credible online sources and address knowledge gaps to improve physician-patient communication and support educational needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijia Jin
- Faculty of Medicine, MD Undergraduate Program, University of British Columbia, 317-2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Howard J Lim
- Medical Oncology, Vancouver Centre, BC Cancer Agency, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 4E6, Canada
- Division of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Sarah Hamilton
- Radiation Oncology, Vancouver Centre, BC Cancer Agency, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 4E6, Canada
- Division of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Paris-Ann Ingledew
- Radiation Oncology, Vancouver Centre, BC Cancer Agency, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 4E6, Canada.
- Division of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, V5Z 1M9, Canada.
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Cieślikowski WA, Kasperczak M, Milecki T, Antczak A. Reasons behind the Delayed Diagnosis of Testicular Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4752. [PMID: 36981661 PMCID: PMC10049095 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to identify the reasons behind the delayed diagnosis of testicular cancer in a group of Polish males diagnosed with this malignancy in 2015-2016. The study included data from 72 patients aged between 18 and 69 years. Based on the median time elapsed to the testicular cancer diagnosis, the study patients were divided into the timely diagnosis group (diagnosis within 10 weeks from initial manifestation, n = 40) and the delayed diagnosis group (diagnosis > 10 weeks from initial manifestation, n = 32). Diagnosis of testicular cancer > 10 weeks after its initial manifestation was associated with less favorable survival (5-year overall survival: 78.1% [95% CI: 59.5-88.9%] vs. 92.5% [95% CI: 78.5-97.5%], p = 0.087). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified two independent predictors of the delayed diagnosis, age > 33 years (OR = 6.65, p = 0.020) and residence in the countryside (OR = 7.21, p = 0.012), with another two parameters, the lack of a regular intimate partner (OR = 3.32, p = 0.098) and the feeling of shame (OR = 8.13, p = 0.056), being at the verge of statistical significance. All the factors mentioned above should be considered during planning social campaigns aimed at the early detection of testicular malignancies, along with improving the quality and trustfulness of Internet-based information resources.
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