Table 2.

Distribution of Internet search terms.

Search term groupings*	Description	n (%)
Symptom	A search term querying a descriptive symptom, but not a specific diagnosis by name	133 (54.7%)	“Blood in urine” (pt 386) “stiff neck” (pt 768) “pressure in the ears” (pt 610)
Diagnosis	A search term querying a diagnosis by name (and or symptoms related to a diagnosis by name)	77 (31.7%)	“UTI” (pt 452) “meningitis” (pt 459) “heart attack” (pt 375)
Treatment options	A search term querying treatment options for different diagnoses or symptoms	3 (1.2%)	“elbow surgery” (pt 466) “natural alternatives to reduce swelling” (pt 315)
Anatomy	A search term querying items related to anatomy without clear reference to symptoms, diagnosis or treatment	10 (4.1%)	“gall bladder” (pt 725) “stomach” (pt 666)
ED processes or physicians	A search term querying things related to the hospital (e.g., availability of specialists), the emergency department and its processes (e.g., wait time) or specific physicians	1 (0.5%)	“hand doctors” (pt 142)
Other	Questions in which the main topic was unclear or did not fit into any of the above categories	19 (7.8%)	“how often should I check my fever” (pt 495) “colonoscopy and kidney stone correlation” (pt 468)

^*N=243 search terms from 170 patients.

pt, patient, ED, emergency department; UTI, urinary tract infection.