Published on June 17, 2021 – Together with the University of Florida, ACHC researchers published a study in the journal Patient Education and Counseling. This study explored if and how patients and providers initiate the discussion about online health information-seeking during health consultations. Our results demonstrate that the internet is becoming integrated into the consultations and that nurses particularly adopt a patient-centered communication style while communicating with patients about online health information-seeking.
To summarize, this study explores how patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in the Netherlands communicate about online health information-seeking. Half of the patient sample was female, and most patients were moderate to highly educated with an average age of 48 years. The researchers analyzed 165 consultations of patients at the start of their treatment. All consultations in which the words internet, website, Google, Googled, webpages, online (forum/blog/platform) or a website was mentioned, were included in the analysis. Further segments were identified and analyzed that represented a discussion about online health information-seeking (n = 87).
It was found that one-third of the consultations included a discussion about online health information-seeking. Patients and NPs were equally likely to initiate a discussion about online health information-seeking, and patients repeatedly reacted by disclosing their concerns. NPs responded by taking patients’ concerns seriously or affirming patients’ beliefs. In all, the results suggest that NPs particularly adopt a patient-centered communication style while communicating about patients’ online health information-seeking. Results of this study could guide interventions to train providers in talking about patients’ online health information-seeking.
The full article can be downloaded here.