Online Health Information-Seeking Behaviour and its Associated Factors Among Patients in the Outpatient Department of Dompe E-hospital, Sri Lanka

Background and Objective: Access for information is a fundamental need for human beings. Internet plays a significant role in accessing health information. Literature shows a paucity of data regarding online health information (OHI) behaviour of patients in developing countries. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess the OHI-seeking behaviour and associated factors among patients attending the outpatient department (OPD) of Dompe E hospital, Sri Lanka.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending the OPD of e-hospital, Dompe for treatment. A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was distributed amongconveniently selected 102 adult patients who were able to use the internet. The data were analysed usingSPSS (Version 26). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used.

Results: The response rate was 93%. The highest number of respondents was females (62.7%) and between 26-35 years of age (33%). Out of 102 participants, only 59 were OHI-seekers. Among them, the widely used device was the smartphone (98.3%) and most (83%) sought OHI for their family members. The main reasons for seeking OHI were: to find a doctor or health care facility (61%) and for knowledge or curiosity (52.5%). Only 20% of respondents use health monitoring devices or apps to track health. When considering patient’s experience with doctors regarding OHI, only 34% of participants had ever asked the doctor about OHI that they had found. Findings show that there is a significant association between age and OHI-seeking (p< 0.05).

Conclusions: More than half of the participants were OHI-seekers. Most have used the smartphones; main reason was to consult a doctor. Sharing or asking about OHI with doctors was minimal. Age is the only factor associated with OHI-seeking behaviour. The study suggests the vital need for healthcare professionals to understand how OHI can be utilized for improving the health outcomes of patients.