University of British Columbia, MD Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine, 317 - 2194 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, BC, Canada.
BC Cancer - Vancouver; Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, 600 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4E6, Canada.
J Cancer Educ. 2020 Dec;35(6):1177-1183. doi: 10.1007/s13187-019-01576-5.
Thyroid cancer incidence rates and Internet use are both increasing. Thyroid cancer is common in young patients, who are likely to use the Internet. This study aims to characterize thyroid cancer patient Internet use and search patterns, usability of online resources, and effects on clinical care. From May to December 2017, inclusive, patients with thyroid cancer attending two tertiary cancer centers were invited to complete a survey about Internet use. Thirty-nine of 72 questionnaires were returned (54%). Ninety-seven percent of participants used the Internet, and 87% had looked for thyroid cancer information. The majority (94%) searched on Google. Patients most often looked for information about treatment (94%) and symptom management (76%). Many patients evaluated content quality by comparing several resources (71%), discussing with a physician (56%) or using a credible academic or government site (53%). Online information was somewhat hard to understand for 32%, but 91% found it useful. Over half (60%) of treatment decisions were affected by web resources, and information helped 50% of patients make decisions with their physicians. Respondents highlighted a lack of resources on survivorship and uncommon tumors such as medullary or anaplastic cancer. Physicians should recognize that patients overwhelmingly access online information, which often impacts patients' decision-making. Clinicians can guide thyroid cancer patients through abundant web-based information and assist in interpreting this information. Educators can use this information to guide resource development, tailoring content and design to thyroid cancer patients' needs.
甲状腺癌的发病率和互联网的使用都在增加。甲状腺癌在年轻患者中很常见，而这些患者可能会使用互联网。本研究旨在描述甲状腺癌患者的互联网使用和搜索模式、在线资源的可用性以及对临床护理的影响。2017 年 5 月至 12 月期间，邀请了两家三级癌症中心的甲状腺癌患者完成一项关于互联网使用情况的调查。共收回 72 份问卷中的 39 份（54%）。97%的参与者使用互联网，87%的参与者查找过甲状腺癌信息。大多数（94%）在谷歌上搜索。患者最常搜索治疗（94%）和症状管理（76%）信息。许多患者通过比较几种资源（71%）、与医生讨论（56%）或使用可信的学术或政府网站（53%）来评估内容质量。32%的患者认为在线信息难以理解，但 91%的患者认为其有用。超过一半（60%）的治疗决策受到网络资源的影响，有 50%的患者在做出与医生相关的决策时会参考在线信息。受访者强调缺乏生存和罕见肿瘤（如髓样或间变性癌）相关的资源。医生应该认识到，患者普遍会访问在线信息，而这些信息往往会影响患者的决策。临床医生可以通过丰富的网络信息来指导甲状腺癌患者，并帮助他们解读这些信息。教育者可以利用这些信息来指导资源开发，根据甲状腺癌患者的需求调整内容和设计。
