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Information needs and Internet use in urological and breast cancer patients

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Abstract

Aims

This study aims to describe the information needs of urological and breast cancer patients and factors related to use of the Internet as a source of health information.

Methodology

A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out, using individual questionnaire-based interviews held during the oncology appointments of 169 patients with urological cancer and 100 with breast cancer at the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital in Granada, Spain. The variables studied were use of the Internet as a source of health information, health status, patient’s role in the decision-making process, information sources, satisfaction with the health-care system, type of information received, and Internet use. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out.

Results

Breast cancer patients are more concerned with long-term results and the effects on their family and personal life. They are also interested in the experiences of other patients and support groups or staff who could help them to cope with their illness. The information needs of patients with urological cancer are linked to short-term alternative treatments, their sex life, keeping healthy, and exercise. More clinical aspects, such as tests and experiments linked to their treatment, are not a frequent information need. The factors linked to use of the Internet as a source of health information are younger age, high level of education, the patient’s active role in the decision-making process, and undergoing more aggressive treatment. There is no link between using the Internet as a source of health information and level of satisfaction with the health-care system, or with Internet use in general.

Conclusion

Patients need additional information about their illness on top of that given to them by health-care staff, and they often use the Internet to find it. The greatest information need is related to the effects of their illness on their day-to-day life. Health-care staff should provide patients with advice about reliable websites and how to search the Internet.

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Acknowledgments

Our thanks go to all the doctors and other health-care staff from the Gynecologic Oncology, Urology, and Radiation Oncology Departments of the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital in Granada. We would also like to thank the patients who took the time to take part in our research and completed the questionnaire.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Avda. de las Fuerzas Armadas, s/n, 18014, Granada, Spain

    Beatriz Valero-Aguilera, Clara Bermúdez-Tamayo, José Manuel Cózar-Olmo, Rosario Guerrero-Tejada & Rubén Alba-Ruiz

  2. Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP), Granada, Spain

    Clara Bermúdez-Tamayo, José Francisco García-Gutiérrez & Jaime Jiménez-Pernett

  3. Epidemiology and Public Health Network Biomedical Research Consortium (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain

    Clara Bermúdez-Tamayo

Authors
  1. Beatriz Valero-Aguilera
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  2. Clara Bermúdez-Tamayo
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  3. José Francisco García-Gutiérrez
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  4. Jaime Jiménez-Pernett
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  5. José Manuel Cózar-Olmo
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  6. Rosario Guerrero-Tejada
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  7. Rubén Alba-Ruiz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beatriz Valero-Aguilera.

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Valero-Aguilera, B., Bermúdez-Tamayo, C., García-Gutiérrez, J.F. et al. Information needs and Internet use in urological and breast cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 22, 545–552 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2009-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2009-y

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