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[Frequent Internet use among Catalan patients with inflammatory bowel disease]
1Unidad de Enfermedad Inflamatoria Intestinal. Servicio de Gastroenterología. Institut de Malalties Digestives. Hospital Clínic. Universidad de Barcelona. Spain. jpanes@clinic.ub.es
Unlabelled:
No data are available on the use of the Internet by Spanish patients with chronic diseases.
Aim:
To determine the extent to which patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Barcelona (Spain) make use of the Internet and the relationship between Internet use and demographic characteristics.
Method:
A questionnaire on Internet use was administered to 200 patients attending an information session on IBD organized by the Gastroenterology Department of a university referral hospital in the city of Barcelona.
Results:
Replies were received from 86% of those surveyed. The mean age was 40 years and 60% were women. Sixty-eight percent had home computers and 49% had an Internet connection. Forty-four percent sporadically or regularly obtained information on IBD from the web. A positive correlation was found between availability and Internet use and young age and higher educational level. No differences were found between men and women. Eighty-four percent expressed interest in having a web site on IBD supported by the physicians of their referral center and 65% were prepared to pay a subscription for this service.
Conclusion:
Patients with IBD from Barcelona frequently looked for information on their disease on the Internet and were receptive to initiatives concerning electronic information from physicians of their local referral center.