Use of the internet by parents of paediatric outpatients

December 3, 2002

Archives of Disease in Childhood 2002;87:534-536

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

C Tuffrey and F Finlay Department of Child Health, NHS House, Newbridge

Hill, Bath BA1 3QE, UK Correspondence to:

Dr C Tuffrey, Department of Paediatrics, Royal United Hospital NHS Trust,

Combe Park, Bath BA1 3NG, UK;

catherine.tuffrey@...

Aims: (1) To establish how many

parents of children seen in paediatric outpatient departments use the

internet to find information about their child's medical condition. (2)

To ascertain what information is sought and found, and what proportion of

all parents had access to the internet at home or elsewhere. Methods:

Over a six week period in 2000, parents of children attending general

paediatric outpatient clinics in the district general hospital in Bath

and in the 10 associated community hospitals, were asked to complete a

questionnaire survery. Results: Of the 577 questionnaires distributed,

485 were returned, a response rate of 84%. A total of 332 (69%) families

owned a computer and 248 (51%) had internet access; 107 (22%) had looked

on the internet for information about the problem for which their child

was being seen in clinic that day. Parents who knew their child's

diagnosis were more likely to have used the internet than those who named

their child's symptoms only. A health professional had suggested that

parents seek information on the internet in 6% of cases. These parents

were more likely to use the internet than parents to whom this had not

been suggested (67% v 20%, p < 0.001). Eighty nine (84%) parents who had

used the internet prior to this clinic appointment found it useful.

Thirty six (34%) parents had discussed or were planning to discuss the

information they had found with their doctors. Conclusion: A significant

proportion of parents have access to the internet and use it to find

information about their child's medical condition. The parents who

discuss what they find with the clinic doctor are in the minority.

Doctors should be prepared to ask parents about their information needs

and discuss use of the internet. Keywords: internet; patient information

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