BACKGROUND: Millions of consumers have accessed health information online. However, little is known about their health status. OBJECTIVE: To explore use of Internet health information among those who were sicker (fair/poor general health status) compared with those reported being healthier. METHODS: A national, random-digit telephone survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project identified 521 Internet users who go online for health care information. Our primary independent variable...

BACKGROUND: Smoking is a major preventable cause of disease and disability around the world. Smoking cessation support — including information, discussion groups, cognitive behavioral treatment, and self-help materials — can be delivered via the Internet. There is limited information about the reasons and methods consumers access smoking cessation information on the Internet. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the feasibility of a method to examine the online behavior of...

BACKGROUND: Recently, many cancer patients have been using the Internet for information with which to make informed choices. We are not aware of any studies that investigate this Internet use among breast cancer patients or women. OBJECTIVE: We investigate the prevalence and predictors of Internet use for medical information among women with breast cancer. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional design and approached 251 women with breast cancer being treated at a university-based hospital. We...

BACKGROUND.: When considering health-related Web sites, issues of quality generally focus on Web content. Little concern has been given to attrition of Web sites or the "fleeting" nature of health information on the World Wide Web. Since Web sites may be available for an uncertain period of time, a Web page may not be a sound reference. OBJECTIVE.: To address the issue of attrition, a defined set of health-related Web sites was examined at two separate time intervals. METHODS.: To determine...

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, health care consumers have begun to benefit from new Web-based communications tools to guide decision making on treatments and tests. Using today's online tools, consumers who have Internet connections can: watch and listen to videos of physicians; watch and hear the stories of other consumers who have faced the same decisions; join an online social support network; receive estimates of their own chances of experiencing various outcomes; and do it all at...