Internet use by orthopaedic patients: a survey of patients in three teaching hospitals in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Patients use the Internet increasingly for information about their medical problems. Objective: To evaluate Internet use among patients attending the orthopaedic clinics of three teaching hospitals in southwest Nigeria. Methodology: An anonymous survey was distributed to patients attending the orthopaedic clinics of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching hospitals Complex, Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Ekiti Stale University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. The survey elicited information regarding demographics, health-related Internet use, and how the information obtained impacted their relationship with their orthopaedic surgeon. Results: A total of 475 respondents returned the completed questionnaire out of which 16 did not meet the inclusion criteria. Of the 459 patients that met the inclusion criteria 69.5% has accessed the internet in the previous one year, and 39.2% sought health related information, but only 11.5% has ever e-mailed their health provider about health-related problems. More of the patients were looking for information regarding their illnesses followed by information about health and nutrition. About 90% found the information useful. Those with post-secondary education. Christians, and patients who sought for treatment at LUTH, Lagos were more likely to seek health related information from the internet. Ethnicity and gender showed no statistically significant difference in predicting online health information seeking behavior among the patients. Conclusion: While not as high as reported usage from the developed countries, the online health information seeking behaviour of orthopaedic patients in this study should justify investment into providing online, health information whose contents arc targeted at orthopaedic patients in our environment.