Journal article
Dr Google in the ED: Searching for online health information by adult emergency department patients
AM Cocco, R Zordan, DMD Taylor, TJ Weiland, SJ Dilley, J Kant, M Dombagolla, A Hendarto, F Lai, J Hutton
Medical Journal of Australia | AUSTRALASIAN MED PUBL CO LTD | Published : 2018
DOI: 10.5694/MJA17.00889
Abstract
Objective: To determine the prevalence, predictors, and characteristics of health-related internet searches by adult emergency department (ED) patients; to examine the effect of searching on the doctor-patient relationship and treatment compliance. Design: A multi-centre, observational, cross-sectional study; a purpose-designed 51-item survey, including tools for assessing e-health literacy (eHEALS) and the effects of internet searching on the doctor-patient relationship (ISMII). Setting, participants: 400 adult patients presenting to two large tertiary referral centre emergency departments in Melbourne, February-May 2017. Outcome measures: Descriptive statistics for searching prevalence and..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We thank Andrew Walby, director of Emergency Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, and Thomas Chan, director of Emergency Medicine, Austin Health, for supporting this investigation in their emergency departments in 2017.