1. What is the Internet? a network of networks, linking computers to computers Each computer runs software to provide or "serve" information and/or to access and view informationserve The Internet is the transport vehicle for the information stored in files or documents on another computer The Internet itself does not contain information.

2. What are different Internet services? Email Listservs telnet ftp Gopher www

3. Who uses the Internet (Pew 2003) As of Feb. 2004, 63% of US adults –65% of men; 61% of women –64% of Whites; 63% of English-speaking Hispanics; 46% of African-Americans We’ll talk about youth next week

4. What are the most common uses of Internet among adults? Email (93%) Researching/buying a product (83%) Searching for health information (80%) Source: Pew report July 16, 2003

5. The Internet and Health Intended Health information Health communication (Thursday) Health products Unintended Advertising/pop-ups

6. Health information Websites Databases of health research –Grateful med

7. Who is most likely to search for health information? (Pew 2003) Women more than men Better educated Higher income Younger (less than 65) Race and ethnicity only as a function of education and income Veteran users compared to newcomers

9. Access to information Access to enormous quantities of information, that can be tailored specifically to the consumer

10. Health: get the latest Health information and research on Yahoo! HealthHealth CATEGORIES Alternative Medicine (601) Alternative Medicine Chats and Forums (42)Chats and Forums Children's Health (230)Children's Health Conferences (18)Conferences Consumer Products and Services@ Death and Dying@ Dental Health (71)Dental Health Disabilities@ Diseases and Conditions (10540) Diseases and Conditions Education (50)Education Emergency Services (554)Emergency Services Employment@ Environmental Health (201)Environmental Health First Aid (19)First Aid Fitness (273)Fitness General Health (103)General Health Health Administration (61)Health Administration Health and Medicine Weblogs@ Health Care (296)Health Care Health Sciences (38)Health Sciences Hospitals and Medical Centers (48)Hospitals and Medical Centers Hygiene (14)Hygiene Institutes (35)Institutes Law@ Long Term Care (104)Long Term Care Medical Geography@ Medicine (5043) Medicine Men's Health (64)Men's Health Mental Health (850) Mental Health Midwifery (53)Midwifery News and Media (220)News and Media Nursing (444)Nursing Nutrition (426)Nutrition Organizations (22)Organizations Pet Health@ Pharmacy (1582) Pharmacy Procedures and Therapies (595)Procedures and Therapies Professional Supplies and Services@ Public Health and Safety (2669)Public Health and Safety Reference (85)Reference Reproductive Health (813)Reproductive Health Senior Health (95)Senior Health Sexual Health (22)Sexual Health Teen Health (60)Teen Health Traditional Medicine (157)Traditional Medicine Travel Health and Medicine (25)Travel Health and Medicine Web Directories (43)Web Directories Weight Issues (247) Weight Issues Women's Health (204)Women's Health Workplace (64)Workplace Access to information

11. Access to tailored information Your Cancer Risk: The Source on PreventionYour Cancer Risk: The Source on Prevention

12. Access to products Anything at your fingertips, never have to leave home Is all of this good? –Prescription drugs WITHOUT a prescription

13. What are some problems with the Internet and Health? (as outlined by the Rice chapter)

14. Credibility regulation Websites often lacking “quality information”

15. Assessing quality (Rippen et al.) Credibility: includes the source, currency, relevance/utility, and editorial review process for the information. Content: must be accurate and complete, and an appropriate disclaimer provided. Disclosure: includes informing the user of the purpose of the site, as well as any profiling or collection of information associated with using the site.

16. Quality continued Links: evaluated according to selection, architecture, content, and back linkages. Design: encompasses accessibility, logical organization (navigability), and internal search capability. Interactivity: includes feedback mechanisms and means for exchange of information among users. Caveats: clarification of whether site function is to market products and services or is a primary information content provider.

17. Quality Most health seekers rely on search engines and don’t always check the source and date of online health information Only 25% of seekers check the source and timeliness of information Source: Pew, 2003

18. Privacy and liabilty At work your email and Internet activity is monitored How do you guarantee identity cookies

19. Policy and access The digital divide –shrinking The knowledge gap hypothesis –Health disparities?

20. Internet & youth

21. In 2001, 90% of all youth had ever gone online –92% email –89% school –89% instant messenger –80% news –78% movies, music, or tv –75% health information

22. What are the most common uses of Internet among adults? Email (93%) Researching/buying a product (83%) Searching for health information (80%) Source: Pew report July 16, 2003

23. How young people use Internet for Health information

24. Internet as a source for health information 75% of online youth have used Internet for health –Those with private access use it more (30% vs. 22%)

25. Sources for health information

26. 15-24 18-older http://www.teensource.org/

27. Changing behavior from Internet information 39% of health seekers said they changed their personal behavior –52% of African Americans –42% of Hispanics –37% of Whites Why?

28. Internet, health & teens Healthy information Unhealthy information –http://www.stupid-boy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9047&st=0http://www.stupid-boy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9047&st=0 Healthy products Unhealthy products –MUCH easier access –Discount Cigarettes Store - Cheap discount cigarettes online: Marlboro, Winston, Camel...Discount Cigarettes Store - Cheap discount cigarettes online: Marlboro, Winston, Camel... –http://www.passmydrugtest.com/http://www.passmydrugtest.com/

29. Health dangers of Internet Access to unhealthy information Access to unhealthy products Sexual predators Pornography (?)

30. Health communication and the internet

31. By health communication, I mean An exchange of information –Between physicians (yawn) –Between physicians and their patients –Between medical/health experts and individuals –Between patients

32. Physician-patient Advantages –Face-time with physicians limited –Allows thoughtful posing of questions –Allows access to MDs without an appointment Disadvantages –Anonymity? –Many MDs don’t like

33. Between medical/health experts and individuals Get advice from medical experts –Ask The Doctor: The Child Behavioral Health Forum at Med HelpAsk The Doctor: The Child Behavioral Health Forum at Med Help Advantage –Access to expert advice without appointments Disadvantages –Authenticity? –Using as alternative to medical care

34. Patient-patient:online support groups Geographic barriers removed –Welcome to SupportPath.comWelcome to SupportPath.com Anonymity Authenticity? 