Physician Perspectives on Internet-Informed Patients: Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Communication
• Digital Health

Background:

• Patients increasingly use the internet for health information, but its accuracy is variable.
• Physicians' perspectives on this behavior and their communication strategies are underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore physicians' perceptions of patients' internet health information-seeking behavior.
• To understand physicians' communication strategies, challenges, and needs when dealing with internet-informed patients.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of studies published from January 1990 to December 2023.
• Searches conducted across PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, and PsycINFO.
• Thematic analysis of 22 identified qualitative and quantitative studies.

Main Results:

• Physicians exhibit a spectrum of views, from positive to negative, on patients' internet health searches.
• Communication strategies range from participative (guiding use) to defensive (discouraging use), often linked to perceptions.
• Identified challenges include time pressure, lack of training, and difficulty recommending trustworthy online resources.

Conclusions:

• Physicians' perceptions significantly influence their communication approaches with internet-informed patients.
• Medical education should integrate training on reliable internet health resources and technological advancements.
• Effective management of internet-informed patients requires equipping physicians with appropriate skills and knowledge.