Do otolaryngology out-patients use the internet prior to attending their appointment?
The Internet has become a very important source of health information. We wanted to determine otolaryngology patients’ access to, and use of, the Internet as a medical information resource, to identify factors that make patients more likely to use it, and to determine how useful they find this information. A questionnaire survey was completed by patients while waiting for their consultation in the out-patient department of the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital in London. Five hundred and thirty-five questionnaires were completed. Sixty-four per cent (344/535) reported having access to the Web. Of the 344 with access, 62 (18 per cent) had searched the Web for medical information prior to their consultation. Higher education (p <0.001) and age between 18 and 40 years (p = 0.001) correlated significantly with higher Internet use. Ninety-five per cent planned to use the Internet again. Approximately one out of five otolaryngology out-patients with Internet access reported having
