Keywords

Caregivers, Health-information seeking, Internet use, Jordanian patients

 

Authors

  1. AKHU-ZAHEYA, LAILA M. PhD, RN
  2. DICKERSON, SUZANNE S. DNS, RN

Abstract

The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate Internet use among Jordanian patients and caregivers. The study included a convenience sample of patients with different health problems and diseases and caregivers. A survey modified from a study by Dickerson et al was used. A total of 78 patients and caregivers participated (37 patients and 41 caregivers), and 56.4% of the respondents were Internet users. Among Internet users, the Internet accounted for only 4.6% of their sources of health information, while physicians accounted for 11.3% and 17.6% among users and nonusers, respectively. Twenty-five of the participants (32.0%) reported high dependence on the media to obtain health information. Among all participants, a surprising percentage (37.2%) did not seek health information from any sources. The results of the survey provide insight into the need to study information-seeking behavior in general before studying specific technology to seek health information.