Rice, 2006

• Internet and health information seeking associated with:
  • More information,
  • more involvement
  • Interaction
  • Social support
• Drawbacks
  • Too much information
  • Organization
  • Impermanence of sites
  • Misleading information
  •  Reinforcement of pathology
• Pew survey 1997 first survey
  • 1997 – 41% accessed healthcare information online
  • Most information goal-directed – use search engine then 3-5 sites
  • Mostly women with broadband access
• Internet information – “social capital”
  • Common expectations, values, and trust
  • Allows for increased relations between people
• Internet a “gift economy” – social rather than economic network with no expectation of barter or trade
• Issues with the internet
  • Overwhelming information, 
  • Organization
  • Confusion
  • Most people use online support groups – block treatment?
• 91% of people report increased knowledge
• White, educated, employed women most likely to seek information – usually as a hobby
• Changes in habits associated with online information
• Tend to ask doctor new questions as a result of online access
• More likely to discuss online things difficult to discuss face-to-face