Table 3.
Impact of the internet on the patient-physician relationship among cancer-related internet users in an early drug development clinic.
| Characteristics | Overall (N=179), n (%) | Millennials or Generation X/Y (n=49), n (%) | Baby Boomers (n=89), n (%) | Greatest or Silent (n=41), n (%) | |
| Have you discussed/do you plan to discuss Internet information with your doctor? | |||||
| Yes | 87/167 (52) | 26/46 (56) | 49/82 (60) | 12/39 (31) | |
| No | 80/167 (48) | 20/46 (44) | 33/82 (40) | 27/39 (69) | |
| How do you verify that information from the Internet is correct? | |||||
|
|
I ask my doctor |
111/156 (71) | 33/46 (72) | 52/73 (71) | 26/37 (70) |
| I ask the PA, APN, or other members of the clinical team | 64/156 (41) | 14/46 (30) | 36/73 (49) | 14/37 (38) | |
| If I see it in multiple places I believe it is true | 34/156 (22) | 14/46 (30) | 13/73 (18) | 7/37 (19) | |
| I don’t verify that things I read online are true | 14/156 (9) | 3/46 (7) | 6/73 (8) | 5/37 (14) | |
| Other (source credibility, I check other sources for data and evidence, I visit only reliable sites, sometimes I just take a chance) | 8/156 (5) | 2/46 (4) | 6/73 (8) | 0/37 (0) | |
| Do you trust your physician’s advice over the information found on the Internet? | |||||
| Yes | 158/163 (97) | 43/44 (98) | 79/82 (96) | 36/37 (97) | |
| No | 5/163 (3) | 1/44 (2) | 3/82 (4) | 1/37 (3) | |
| If you trust your physician’s advice more, what are the reasons for that? | |||||
| Your physician has had extensive training and will make the best decisions for you | 121/150 (81) | 37/42 (88) | 58/73 (80) | 26/35 (74) | |
| You have a good relationship with your physician | 84/150 (56) | 22/42 (52) | 44/73 (60) | 18/35 (51) | |
| Your physician can explain information better | 67/150 (45) | 15/42 (36) | 36/73 (49) | 16/35 (46) | |
| If you trust advice from the Internet more, what are the reasons for that? | |||||
| More comprehensive | 1/3 (33) | 0/1 (0) | 0/1 (0) | 1/1 (100) | |
| More up-to-date | 1/3 (33) | 0/1 (0) | 0/1 (0) | 1/1 (100) | |
| Did your physician’s recommendation conflict with what you found on the Internet? | |||||
|
|
No | 105/144 (73) | 30/40 (75) | 48/69 (70) | 27/35 (77) |
| Sometimes yes, sometimes no | 35/144 (24) | 9/40 (23) | 18/69 (26) | 8/35 (23) | |
| Yes | 4/144 (3) | 1/40 (3) | 3/69 (4) | 0/35 (0) | |
| Did you ask your physician for recommendations for cancer-related websites? | |||||
| No | 142/165 (86) | 41/47 (87) | 66/81 (82) | 35/37 (95) | |
| Yes | 23/165 (14) | 6/47 (13) | 15/81(19) | 2/37 (5) | |