BMJ  2004;328:898 (10 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7444.898

Letter

Internet is indeed useful source for patients with cancer

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Ziebland et al investigated how the use of the internet affected patients' experience of cancer.1 The experiences reported by the patients they interviewed are certainly consistent with those that patients and families on the wards tell of internet use and are similar to findings of two surveys of Australian patients with cancer in Sydney.2 3

These surveys documented high and rising rates of internet use among patients with cancer (46% in 2001). Importantly patients' perceptions of the impact of the internet on their relationships and discussions with their doctor, decisions on treatment, and coping were overwhelmingly positive.

Credit: JOHN GREIM/SPL

Among 83 non-users of the internet, recruited from consecutive attenders at the oncology outpatient department, the most common reason for non-use reported was lack of access (60%), as assumed by Ziebland et al. Other reasons for non-use were lack of internet skills (29%), concerns about information found there (7%), . . . [Full text of this article]

Julia M L Brotherton, public health physician

Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia juliamlb{at}hotmail.com


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Relevant Article

How the internet affects patients' experience of cancer: a qualitative study
Sue Ziebland, Alison Chapple, Carol Dumelow, Julie Evans, Suman Prinjha, and Linda Rozmovits
BMJ 2004 328: 564. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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