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Internet health information use and e-mail access by parents attending a paediatric emergency department
1Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Canada. ran.goldman@sickkids.ca
Insights
Most parents have internet access and want electronic delivery of their child's medical test results. This highlights the need for guidance on reliable online health information resources.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Health Informatics
- Digital Health
Background:
- Many families utilize the internet for health information.
- Understanding digital access and health information-seeking behaviors is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess internet access and health information usage among parents in a pediatric emergency department (ED).
- To determine parental interest in receiving medical test results electronically via the internet.
Main Methods:
- A 21-item interview was conducted with 950 parents in a Toronto pediatric ED.
- Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions were used to analyze data.
- Variables associated with electronic result access preferences were examined.
Main Results:
- 87% of parents reported regular internet access, and 75% had email accounts.
- 56% searched for health information online, with 8.5% doing so just before their ED visit.
- 73% desired electronic delivery of ED test results, and 66% wanted primary care providers to receive this information electronically.
Conclusions:
- A majority of families possess internet access and prefer electronic communication for medical information.
- The high utilization of the internet for health information necessitates guidance on reliable online resources.
Objectives:
To document internet access and health related usage patterns by families of children in a large paediatric emergency department (ED), and to discover if parents want the internet to become a tool for transferring medical test results.
Methods:
This was a pre-tested, 21 item, interview conducted with parents at the paediatric ED in Toronto over 3 months. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions were calculated and variables associated with parents wishing to access results electronically were examined.
Results:
In total, 950 parents completed the interview (93%), of whom 87% reported routine internet access, 75% reported having an e-mail account, and 60% accessed their e-mail once or more a day. Over half (56%) reported searching the internet for health related information, with 8.5% of these searching immediately preceding their visit. Nearly three quarters (73%) indicated they would like to receive an e-mail containing the results of tests conducted in the ED; 66% of all respondents and 89% of those with e-mail indicated that they would like their child's primary care provider to receive information electronically.
Conclusion:
The majority of families have internet access and most want to receive medical information electronically and to send it to the primary provider. The vast use of internet for health related information emphasises the need to guide parents regarding reliable resources online, possibly as part of their ED visit.
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