Van Weert, J. C. M., Bolle S., & Muusses, L. D. (2014). Age and age-related differences in Internet usage of cancer patients. In C. Stephanidis & M. Antona (Eds.), Universal access in human-computer interaction. Proceedings HCII 2014, Part III, LNCS 8515 (pp. 403-414). Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Abstract: This study investigates age and age-related differences in Internet usage of 952 cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Older patients (> 65 years) reported significantly less Internet usage to find treatment-related information than younger ones (< 65 years). Still, 40.1% of the older patients used the internet regularly or often, as compared to 52.3% of the younger patients. About one quarter (26.4%) of the older patients and 14.6% of the younger patients didn’t use the Internet at all during their chemotherapy treatment. In the younger age group, men, patients with a palliative treatment goal, a more monitoring coping style, more information preferences and higher fulfilled information and communication needs reported more Internet usage than their counterparts. In the older age group, only a monitoring coping style, being male and a higher education level predicted Internet usage. The results of this study provide guidance to improve Internet usage of older patients.

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