[Danes and their use of the Internet for health-related purposes]

We wanted to examine how Danes use the Internet for health-related purposes. How much are the existing possibilities used? Who are the users? What are the consequences of this use?

In October 2005--as part of a large EU supported study--a telephone survey was carried out among 1000 randomly selected Danes between the age of 15 and 80.

60% of the Danish population use the Internet to seek health-related information. The Internet is especially used for health purposes by people with a high education, by women, by people with poor health and by people with children. Every fourth Dane experiences feelings of reassurance or relief after having read about illness on the Internet and this number is 3 times higher than the number of people that experience concern and anxiety. 3% state that they have changed their medication after having read information on the Internet and this is done without prior contact to their doctor. 8% of Danes have at some point consulted their doctor over the Internet, and if given the opportunity, 58% would read their own patient record online.

For many Danes it is common practice to use the Internet for health-related purposes. However, the position of the general practitioner as the primary source of health-related information is not threatened. Danes use the Internet as a supplement to their doctor and many--especially women--use the Internet information in their dialogue with their doctor. Danes increasingly seek solutions to enable them to get online contact with the different players in the health care sector.