The Impact of the Internet on Cancer Outcomes

By Gunther Eysenbach. Ca, 2003

635 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Each day, more than 12.5 million health‐related computer searches are conducted on the World Wide Web. Based on a meta‐analysis of 24 published surveys, the author estimates that in the developed world, about 39% of persons with cancer are using the Internet, and approximately 2.3 million persons living with cancer worldwide are online. In addition, 15% to 20% of persons with cancer use the Internet “indirectly” through family and friends. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, the available evidence on how persons with cancer are using the Internet and the effect of Internet use on persons with cancer is summarized. The author distinguishes four areas of Internet use: communication (electronic mail), community (virtual support groups), content (health information on the World Wide Web), and e‐commerce. A conceptual framework summarizing the factors involved in a possible link between Internet use and cancer outcomes is presented, and future areas for research are highlighted.

Subfields: General Health Professions, Health

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f7d3e95694200586e009da7a90c8f369bd8422bb

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In General Health Professions

In Health

Citations in the corpus

How Internet Users Find, Evaluate, and Use Online Health Information: A Cross-Cultural Review (2004, neutral): “%) say”
Using the Internet for Health-Related Activities: Findings From a National Probability Sample (2009, methodology): “The health-related Internet activities used in this study corresponded to Eysenbach’s application areas of content, community, and commerce [3].”
Effects of Online Health Sources on Credibility and Behavioral Intentions (2010, background): “Among the many forms of online support groups—for example, Web-based discussion boards, e-mail-based newsgroups, and chat rooms (Eysenbach, 2003; Lacoursiere, Knobf, & McCokle, 2005)—bulletin boards are most popular because they are directly accessed through search engines, which most people use for”
Patients using the Internet to obtain health information: how this affects the patient-health professional relationship. (2006, background): “An American survey of cancer patients showed that 92% of patients believe that Internet information empowers them to make health decisions and helps them to talk to their physicians [19], resulting, as the Department of Health [26] hopes, in a more patient-centred interaction between health professi”
Why Are Health Care Interventions Delivered Over the Internet? A Systematic Review of the Published Literature (2006, background): “The Internet is still a relatively new medium for seeking and delivering health care, although this use is increasing rapidly [1,2] and includes health information seeking [3], Internet-based peer support groups [4], online health consultations [5], and delivery of health interventions [6].”