The headline via AMEDNEWS this morning caught my eye “Patients directed to online tools don’t necessarily use them. A study finds that health information on the Web is read less often than the same material on paper. This study is, however, in my opinion flawed and does not take into account patients motivations for researching health information online.
Researchers from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia compared the efficacy of paper-based colorectal screening intervention information to Web-based intervention material. The study showed that 42% of patients given paper-based resources reviewed them, while only 24.6% of patients given access to Web-based information reviewed it. The study was published online Jan. 4 in the Journal of Health Communication.
So what’s wrong with this study ?
(1) Well first all the subjects in the study lived in rural Pennsylvania and we don’t know anything about their education, Internet access or income levels which all have a lot to do with who goes online to research health information.
(2) The search for health information online is usually driven by triggers such as health problems, family members who are sick or worries about nagging aches and pains. These women were given information on a specific disease state and we have to assume that it was given to them by HCP’s who rank highest in credibility.
Do patients prefer health information in different formats ? Again the answer to that is “it depends on whether patients are just doing research or have received information in conjunction with a visit to their doctor”. If, for example, a woman was to receive printed information on breast cancer awareness from her doctor she probably would read it and use the Internet to supplement information gaps and needs.
The bottom line is that DTC marketers need to understand how patients use information and how they want the information. Off and Online work best when integrated but some channels could carry more weight than others.
The end of the article gets it right: more research is needed.
Passionate healthcare marketer with over 10 years of experience I believe that what's best for patients is best for healthcare marketers. I also write a monthly DTC Column for PM 360 Magazine and have written many articles on healthcare marketing in an age of empowered patients.
