Abstract
An increasing number of patients and relatives use the Internet to get additional or initial information about their disease. The aim of the study was to reevaluate the Internet usage among German cancer patients. Using a standardized questionnaire, we did an anonymous survey on patients attending a series of lectures on complementary medicine in 2014. We received 255 questionnaires. Nearly 80 % of the participants stated that they used the Internet to read up information about health or medicine issues. There was no significant difference regarding gender, age, or status (patient, current treatment/former treatment; relatives). Most users use the Internet in order to get additional information after a consultation with a physician (82.2 %). Important qualities from the view of the patient are a trustable source (65.3 %), information from experts (59.6 %), and actual information (52.8 %). There is an increasing number of patients in Germany looking for information in the Internet mostly in the intention of getting additional information. Yet, as the quality of information is heterogeneous, false information may lead to distrust in the doctor or wrong decision-making. Accordingly, organizations working on improving quality of cancer care should engage in conveying comprehensive and actual information adapted to the needs of patients. Physicians should know trustful websites for referral of patients.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Sabel MS, Strecher VJ, Schwartz JL, Wang TS, Karimipour DJ, Orringer JS, Johnson T, Bichakjian CK (2005) Patterns of Internet use and impact on patients with melanoma. Am Acad Dermatol. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2004.10.874
Mathew W. Ludgate, Michael S. Sabel, Douglas R. Fullen, Marcus L. Frohm, Julia S. Lee, Mick P. Couper, Timothy M. Johnson, and Christopher K. Bickakjian. 2011. Internet use and anxiety in people with melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer. Wiley Periodicals Dermatological Surgery: 1252 – 1259. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02124.x
Davies E, Yeoh KW (2012) Internet chemotherapy information: impact on patients and health professionals. Br J Cancer 106:651–657. doi:10.1038/bjc.2011.601
Marstedt G (2003) Auf der Suche nach gesundheitlicher Information und Beratung: Befunde zum Wandel der Patientenrolle. In: Böcken J, Braun B, Schnee M (eds) Gesundheitsmonitor 2003, Die ambulante Versorgung aus Sicht von Bevölkerung und Ärzteschaft. Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung, Gütersloh, pp 117–135
Broom A, Tovey P (2008) The role of the Internet in cancer patients’ engagement with complementary and alternative treatments. Health (London) 12(2):139–55
Rudolph I, Seilacher E, Koester MJ, Stellamanns J, Liebl P, Zell J, Ludwig S, Beck E, Huebner J (2015) Der Informationsbedarf von Patienten mit Krebserkrankungen in Deutschland—eine Befragung der Betroffenen. Deut Med Wochensch 140:e43–e47
Liebl P, Seilacher E, Koester MJ, Stellamanns J, Zell J, Huebner J (2015) What cancer patients find in the Internet—the visibility of evidence-based patient information: analysis of information on German websites. Oncol Res Treat 2015(38):212–218
Wasserman M, Baxter NN, Rosen B, Burnstein M, Halverson AL (2014) Systematic review of internet patient information on colorectal cancer surgery. Dis Colon Rectum 57:64–69. doi:10.1097/DCR.0000000000000011
Grewal P, Alagaratnam S (2013) The quality and readability of colorectal cancer information on the internet. Int J Surg 11:410–413. doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2013.03.006
Whitten P, Nazione S, Lauckner C (2013) Tools for assessing the quality and accessibility of online health information: initial testing among breast cancer websites. Inform Health Soc Care 38(4):366–381. doi:10.3109/17538157.2013.812644
D’Agostino TA, Ostroff JS, Heerdt A, Dickler M, Li Y, Bylund CL (2012) Toward a greater understanding of breast cancer patients’ decision to discuss cancer—related internet information with their doctors: an exploratory study. Patient Educ Couns 89:109–115. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2012.05.008
Ebel M-D, Rudolph I, Keinki C, Hoppe A, Muecke R, Micke O, Muenstedt K, Huebner J (2015) Perception of cancer patients of their disease, self-efficacy and locus of control and usage of complementary and alternative medicine. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 141:1449–1455. doi:10.1007/s00432-015-1940-3
Michaël R. Laurent, Saskia Cremers, Gregor Verhoef und Daan Dierickx. 2012. Internet use for health information among haematology outpatients: a cross-sectional survey. Informatics for Health and Social Care March: 62 – 73. doi: 10.3109/17538157.2011.606481.
Hill-Kayser CE, Vachani C, Hampshire MK, Di Lullo GA, Metz JM (2011) The role of Internet-based cancer survivorship care plans in care of the elderly. J Geriatr Oncol 2:58–63. doi:10.1016/j.jgo.2010.10.001
Moldovan-Johnson M, Tan ASL, Hornik RC (2014) Navigating the cancer information environment: the reciprocal relationship between patient-clinician information engagement and information seeking from nonmedical sources. Health Comm 29(10):974–983
Carma LB, Jennifer AG, Thomas AD, Rebecca SI, Ellen S (2009) “Cancer patients’ decision about discussing Internet information with the doctor”, Wiley InterScience 2009. Psycho – Oncol 18:1139–1146. doi:10.1002/pon.1511
3HONcode: http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Patients/Conduct.html; last assessed 09.06.2014
4DISCERN: http://www.discern.org.uk/discern_instrument.php; last assessed 09.06.2014
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(DOCX 57 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ebel, MD., Stellamanns, J., Keinki, C. et al. Cancer Patients and the Internet: a Survey Among German Cancer Patients. J Canc Educ 32, 503–508 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-015-0945-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-015-0945-6