Christoph Kowalski|Eva Kahana|Kathrin Kuhr|Lena Ansmann|Holger Pfaff
Changes Over Time in the Utilization of Disease-Related Internet Information in Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients 2007 to 2013
University of Cologne|Case Western Reserve University|University of Cologne|University of Cologne|University of Cologne
background number people internet access rises use internet potentially valuable source health informationinsight patient use information correlates time may reveal changes digital divide based patient age educationexisting research focused patient characteristics predict internet information use research treatment context rareobjective study aims 1 present data proportion newly diagnosed breast cancer patients treated german breast centers 2007 2013 used internet information disease 2 look correlations internet utilization sociodemographic characteristics change time 3 determine use internet information varies hospitals patients initially treatedmethods data utilization internet breast cancerspecific health information obtained postal survey breast cancer patients conducted annually germany steady response rate 87 consenting patientsdata survey combined data obtained hospital personnel eg cancer stage type surgerydata 27491 patients 7 consecutive annual surveys analyzed paper using multilevel regression modeling account clustering patients specific hospitalsresults breast cancer patients seeking diseasespecific information internet increased significantly 2696 8533164 2007 3721 14853991 2013similar patterns demographic correlates found 7 cohortsolder patients 70 years patients 10 years formal education less likely use internet information topics related diseaseinternet use significantly higher among privately insured patients patients living partnerhigher cancer stage foreign native language associated decreased use overall modeltype surgery found associated internet use multivariable modelsintraclass correlation coefficients small 000003 suggesting small contribution hospital patients decision use internet informationthere clear indication decreased digital divide based age educationconclusions use internet health information rise among breast cancer patientsthe strong ageand educationrelated differences raise question relevant information adequately provided patients especially limited education older age living without partner