Only about one-quarter of patients who were given access to an online portal containing information about colorectal cancer screening actually used the site, according to a study published this month in the Journal of Health Communication, FierceHealthIT reports.
Study Details
The study consisted of 130 women mainly between ages 50 and 59 who were considered to be at an average risk for colorectal cancer.
Eighty-three percent of the participants said they spent an average of one hour per day on the Internet.
The women were given access to an online portal that contained information on colorectal cancer screening, including associated risks and benefits, and links to websites with additional information.
Study Results
The researchers found that 32 patients, or 24.6%, actually logged on to the website, with 26 of those patients doing so only once.
Alternatively, of 171 women who were given identical information in paper format, 42% said that they had reviewed the data at least once, and 30% said that they did so at least twice.
Recommendations
The researchers advised that instead of using funding on Web-based health interventions, resources should be put toward understanding how the Internet can be used to improve health.
"Easy access to the highly interactive, multimedia-driven Web has created a perception that if we build inviting websites, the public will come," the researchers wrote, adding that more research needs to be done "to learn about how [the Internet] is actually used and by whom" to have an effect on patient health behaviors.
Study Details
The study consisted of 130 women mainly between ages 50 and 59 who were considered to be at an average risk for colorectal cancer.
Eighty-three percent of the participants said they spent an average of one hour per day on the Internet.
The women were given access to an online portal that contained information on colorectal cancer screening, including associated risks and benefits, and links to websites with additional information.
Study Results
The researchers found that 32 patients, or 24.6%, actually logged on to the website, with 26 of those patients doing so only once.
Alternatively, of 171 women who were given identical information in paper format, 42% said that they had reviewed the data at least once, and 30% said that they did so at least twice.
Recommendations
The researchers advised that instead of using funding on Web-based health interventions, resources should be put toward understanding how the Internet can be used to improve health.
"Easy access to the highly interactive, multimedia-driven Web has created a perception that if we build inviting websites, the public will come," the researchers wrote, adding that more research needs to be done "to learn about how [the Internet] is actually used and by whom" to have an effect on patient health behaviors.