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What is the Internet?

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 information The Internet is the transport vehicle for the information stored in files or documents on another computer

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What is the Internet?

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  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 information • 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

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

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

  10. Access to tailored information • Your Cancer Risk: The Source on Prevention

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

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

  13. Credibility regulation • Websites often lacking “quality information”

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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

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

  18. Policy and access • The digital divide • shrinking • The knowledge gap hypothesis • Health disparities?

  19. Internet & youth

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. How young people use Internet for Health information

  23. 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%)

  24. Sources for health information

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

  26. 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?

  27. Internet, health & teens • Healthy information • Unhealthy information • http://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... • http://www.passmydrugtest.com/

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

  29. Health communication and the internet

  30. 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

  31. 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

  32. Between medical/health experts and individuals • Get advice from medical experts • Ask 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

  33. Patient-patient:online support groups • Geographic barriers removed • Welcome to SupportPath.com • Anonymity  • Authenticity? 

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