Tracking changes in search behaviour at a health web site

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Public Health
• Information Science

Background:

• The internet is a primary source for public health information.
• Understanding public search behavior on health websites is crucial for effective information dissemination.
• Official health websites like Sweden's 1177.se provide valuable data on public health interests.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze search query patterns on the official Swedish health website 1177.se.
• To identify trends in public interest regarding health topics, diseases, and healthcare providers over time.
• To explore the utility of mapping search queries to standardized medical terminologies for enhanced analysis.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of search log data from 1177.se.
• Mapping of search queries to Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) semantic types and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) categories.
• Temporal analysis of search query trends.

Main Results:

• Diseases and healthcare activities are the most searched topics, as anticipated.
• A notable increase in searches for geographical locations in the context of healthcare providers was observed.
• Significant shifts in the types of diseases searched for over time were identified.

Conclusions:

• Analysis of health website search logs provides insights into public health concerns.
• This methodology can be valuable for understanding public health priorities and informing public health campaigns.
• The findings can aid in the design and evaluation of public health information strategies.