Table 2.

Themes and subthemes identified in the thematic analysis.

Themes	Subthemes	Example quote
Experience/general opinion using internet for health and illness issues	Personal experiences Level of satisfaction Use of this information	“I trust my doctor a lot, but I sometimes go into the internet to nose around.” “I read that a new resolutive treatment for diabetes was found but then going deeper in other websites I realized that the information was false.” “I used the web for a medical advice about diabetes (insulin question), but I didn’t find the specific answer and I had to call the hospital.”
Needs and expectations of the use of internet as source of information on health and illness issues	Informational needs Preferences relating display format	“It would be very interesting internet forums, for example, that we are all from here, or wherever, if we could all have a forum to share our experiences and encourage each other.” “I prefer websites because they are easier to use, you don’t need a smartphone, you don’t have to download anything, and it doesn’t take too much space in the memory of the device.”
Trust on internet as source of information on health and illness issues	Situations of NOT using Why you trust information Issues enhance or diminish level of trust	“On the internet, you can find everything but then you have to ask your medical doctor, especially for big issues or emergency.” “On the internet a lot of things can be dumped. I think you can trust the government websites; they should hang those reliable pages.” “Social media, such as Facebook, tends to produce a lot of false information; eg, they often claim a permanent cure for diabetes.”