Utilizing Digital Twin to Create Personas Representing Ovarian Cancer Patients and Their Families.

OvCa patients and caregivers perceived challenges in online health information seeking. The HELPeR recommendation system utilized digital twins to create personas reflecting real-world OvCa patients and caregivers. The aim of this study was to describe the creation of digital twins and demonstrate their use cases in the study. Digital twins of OvCa patients and caregivers were created by triangulating multiple sources, including online cancer forums, direct interviews with patients and caregivers, domain expert input, and clinical notes. 10 personas were created for both OvCa patients and caregivers who had a variety of cancer trajectories and information interests. These digital twins present a potential solution for training artificial intelligence models at the initial phase when there is a scarcity of user information.

eHealth Literacy and Web-Based Health Information-Seeking Behaviors on COVID-19 in Japan: Internet-Based Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, much misinformation and disinformation emerged and spread rapidly via the internet, posing a severe public health challenge. While the need for eHealth literacy (eHL) has been emphasized, few studies have compared the difficulties involved in seeking and using COVID-19 information between adult internet users with low or high eHL. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association between eHL and web-based health information-seeking behaviors among adult Japanese internet users. Moreover, this study qualitatively shed light on the difficulties encountered in seeking and using this information and examined its relationship with eHL. METHODS: This cross-sectional internet-based survey (October 2021) collected data from 6000 adult internet users who were equally divided into sample groups by gender, age, and income. We used the Japanese version of the eHL Scale (eHEALS). We also used a Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic to assess eHL after we translated it to Japanese. Web-based health information-seeking behaviors were assessed by using a 10-item list of web sources and evaluating 10 topics participants searched for regarding COVID-19. Sociodemographic and other factors (eg, health-related behavior) were selected as covariates. Furthermore, we qualitatively explored the difficulties in information seeking and using. The descriptive contents of the responses regarding difficulties in seeking and using COVID-19 information were analyzed using an inductive qualitative content analysis approach. RESULTS: Participants with high eHEALS and DHLI scores on information searching, adding self-generated information, evaluating reliability, determining relevance, and operational skills were more likely to use all web sources of information about COVID-19 than those with low scores. However, there were negative associations between navigation skills and privacy protection scores when using several information sources, such as YouTube (Google LLC), to search for COVID-19 information. While half of the participants reported no difficulty seeking and using COVID-19 information, participants who reported any difficulties, including information discernment, incomprehensible information, information overload, and disinformation, had lower DHLI score. Participants expressed significant concerns regarding "information quality and credibility," "abundance and shortage of relevant information," "public trust and skepticism," and "credibility of COVID-19-related information." Additionally, they disclosed more specific concerns, including "privacy and security concerns," "information retrieval challenges," "anxieties and panic," and "movement restriction." CONCLUSIONS: Although Japanese internet users with higher eHEALS and total DHLI scores were more actively using various web sources for COVID-19 information, those with high navigation skills and privacy protection used web-based information about COVID-19 cautiously compared with those with lower proficiency. The study also highlighted an increased need for information discernment when using social networking sites in the "Health 2.0" era. The identified categories and themes from the qualitative content analysis, such as "information quality and credibility," suggest a framework for addressing the myriad challenges anticipated in future infodemics.

Online Search Interest in Gynecologists After the Release of the Film Barbie.

This cross-sectional study evaluates whether the film Barbie was associated with increased public interest in gynecologic care in the US after its release.

Google Internet searches related to inflammatory arthritis: An observational study using Google Trends data.

OBJECTIVE: The Internet has transformed how patients access health information. We examined Google search engine data to understand which aspects of health are most often searched for in combination with inflammatory arthritis (IA). METHODS: Using Google Trends data (2011-2022) we determined the relative popularity of searches for 'patient symptoms' (pain, fatigue, stiffness, mood, work) and 'treat-to-target' (disease-modifying drugs, steroids, swelling, inflammation) health domains made with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) in the UK/USA. Google Trends normalises searches by popularity over time and region, generating 0-100 scale relative search volumes (RSV; 100 represents the time-point with most searches). Up to five search term combinations can be compared. RESULTS: In all IA forms, pain was the most popular patient symptom domain. UK/USA searches for pain gave mean RSVs of 58/79, 34/51, and 39/63 with RA, PsA, and AxSpA; mean UK/USA RSVs for other patient symptom domains ranged 2-7/2-8. Methotrexate was the most popular treat-to-target search term with RA/PsA in the UK (mean 28/21) and USA (mean 63/33). For AxSpA, inflammation was most popular (mean UK/USA 9/34). Searches for pain were substantially more popular than searches for methotrexate in RA and PsA, and inflammation in AxSpA. Searches increased over time. CONCLUSIONS: Pain is the most popular search term used with IA in Google searches in the UK/USA, supporting surveys/qualitative studies highlighting the importance of improving pain to patients with IA. Routine pain assessments should be embedded within treat-to-target strategies to ensure patient perspectives are considered.

Who is seeking information about traumatic brain injury? Characterizing online course participants.

Accessible, up-to-date information on traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be challenging to find and is needed to address TBI knowledge gaps and improve outcomes for people who experience a TBI. The Understanding TBI Massive Open Online Course (TBI MOOC) was developed to increase TBI knowledge across a diverse global audience. We sought to characterize the TBI MOOC participant cohort, to understand the reach of the course among this target audience. Examining the characteristics of TBI MOOC enrollees showed that participants came from a wide range of demographic backgrounds, had a variety of TBI experiences and had multiple reasons for enrolling in the MOOC. The majority of course participants shared some characteristics with other groups of health information seekers. Four distinct demographic profiles were identified among TBI MOOC participants (education seekers, TBI-aware participants, TBI care providers and retirees) using a novel approach combining chi-squared tests and network modularity. Participants assigned to the TBI-aware and retiree profiles were most likely to complete all modules of the MOOC, and the TBI-aware profile was more highly represented in more recent iterations of the MOOC. Together, these data indicate that the TBI MOOC provided information to a wide range of people, and particularly engaged participants with personal or family experience of TBI. However, engagement with this course was minimal among some hard-to-reach populations, including men and people with low levels of education, indicating that additional strategies are needed to ensure equity in health promotion.

Toddlers strategically adapt their information search.

Adaptive information seeking is essential for humans to effectively navigate complex and dynamic environments. Here, we developed a gaze-contingent eye-tracking paradigm to examine the early emergence of adaptive information-seeking. Toddlers (N = 60, 18-36 months) and adults (N = 42) either learnt that an animal was equally likely to be found in any of four available locations, or that it was most likely to be found in one particular location. Afterwards, they were given control of a torchlight, which they could move with their eyes to explore the otherwise pitch-black task environment. Eye-movement data and Markov models show that, from 24 months of age, toddlers become more exploratory than adults, and start adapting their exploratory strategies to the information structure of the task. These results show that toddlers' search strategies are more sophisticated than previously thought, and identify the unique features that distinguish their information search from adults'.

"How" web searches change under stress.

To adjust to stressful environments, people seek information. Here, we show that in response to stressful public and private events the high-level features of information people seek online alter, reflecting their motives for seeking knowledge. We first show that when people want information to guide action they selectively ask "How" questions. Next, we reveal that "How" searches submitted to Google increased dramatically during the pandemic (controlling for search volume). Strikingly, the proportion of these searches predicted weekly self-reported stress of ~ 17K individuals. To rule out third factors we manipulate stress and find that "How" searches increase in response to stressful, personal, events. The findings suggest that under stress people ask questions to guide action, and mental state is reflected in features that tap into why people seek information rather than the topics they search for. Tracking such features may provide clues regrading population stress levels.

Influence of digital health literacy on online health-related behaviors influenced by internet advertising.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of health-related information seeking on the internet and social media platforms has increased remarkably. Thus, the ability to understand and select accurate health-related information online, known as EHealth literacy, is crucial for the population. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how eHealth literacy influences the critical analysis of oral health-related information obtained from the Internet and its influence on oral health-related behaviors.  METHODS: A cross-sectional online study was conducted with 418 Brazilian adults who responded to the eHEALS questionnaire, with questions regarding the influence of online information on oral health decisions. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were also collected. RESULTS: The mean eHEALS score was 27.85 (± 8.13), with a range spanning from 8 to 40 points. Participants with higher eHEALS scores reported using social media platforms to seek for dentists and to acque information about symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments. Furthermore, this group tended not to disregard professional health recommendations based on Internet information and abstained from utilizing products promoted by digital influencers. In multivariate models, increased eHEALS scores were associated with reduced consumption of products endorsed by digital influencers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study suggest that individuals with higher scores on the eHealth literacy questionnaire often conduct research on their health status and seek for health care providers on the Internet. Moreover, these individuals were less likely to be influenced by digital influencers.

Parental concerns about oral health of children: Is ChatGPT helpful in finding appropriate answers?

INTRODUCTION: Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an important part of our lives owing to increased data availability and improved power of computing. One of the recently launched modalities of AI, ChatGPT, is being enormously used worldwide for different types of tasks. In medical context, its use is being explored for clinical queries, academia, research help, etc. Further, literature suggests that parents seek information about health of their children using different Internet resources and would surely turn toward ChatGPT for the same, as this chatbot model is easy to use, generates "one" response, and is available without any subscription. ChatGPT generates a response using text cues and applying different algorithms on prepublished literature but is still in its naïve state; hence, it is imperative to validate the generated responses. Accordingly, we planned this study to determine the clarity, correctness, and completeness of some Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about child's oral health, from a mother's perspective. METHODS: The study design was a vignette-based survey and included a set of 23 questions, for which ChatGPT was interviewed from the perspective of an imaginary parent. The answers responded by ChatGPT were copied "verbatim," and a Google survey form was designed. The survey form was validated and then sent to 15 pediatric dentists, and the responses were mainly collected on the Likert's scale with a provision of one open-ended question aiming to determine "what they would have added" to this generated response as an expert in the field. RESULTS: The responses on Likert's scale were condensed and values ≥4 were considered 'adequate and acceptable' while scores ≤3, were considered 'inadequate'. The generated responses and comments mentioned by different respondents in the open-ended question were critiqued in reference to the existing literature. CONCLUSION: Overall, the responses were found to be complete and logical and in clear language, with only some inadequacies being reported in few of the answers.

Impact of mobile Internet use on health-seeking behaviors: evidence from China.

Introduction: Although health-seeking behaviors are crucial to China's healthcare delivery system, the influence of mobile Internet use in this context remains under-explored. This study aimed to comprehensively explore the influence of mobile Internet use on health-seeking behaviors, and meticulously examined the heterogeneity in health outcomes associated with the intersection between mobile Internet use and health-seeking behaviors. Methods: We used nationally representative data derived from the China Family Panel Studies. Given that individuals typically make the decision to use mobile Internet autonomously, an instrumental variable regression methodology was adopted to mitigate potential selection biases. Results: Our findings revealed that mobile Internet use significantly promoted self-medication and adversely affected the use of primary care facilities among Chinese adults. Furthermore, our findings highlighted the heterogeneous effects of mobile Internet use across diverse health demographic groups. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of strategic planning and utilizing mobile Internet resources to steer individuals toward more appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviors.

Social Media in Pregnancy Care: Exploring Adoption Factors and Digital Healthcare Information Utilization among Expectant Mothers in Ghana.

Background: The Antenatal Care (ANC) Center is a conventional facility that caters for the prenatal healthcare needs of expectant mothers and ensures proper management by healthcare professionals; however, expectant mothers seek healthcare support from other sources. This study aimed to examine the utilization of social media for healthcare information among expectant mothers in the capital city of Ghana and explore the factors that influence its adoption. Method: This study employed a non-experimental survey design. The study used a questionnaire to gather data from expectant mothers. Using 580 valid responses, SmartPLS structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the study model. Results: The study findings demonstrated the significant influence of performance expectancy of social media (PESM) and facilitating conditions of social media (FCSM) on social media healthcare information usage (SMHLU). The results also revealed that emotional support on social media and perceived vulnerability were influential factors that shaped expectant mothers' choices to use social media for healthcare information. However, the study showed that perceived severity and the relative advantage of social media had no significant effects on SMHIU. Interestingly, FCSM was found to be significantly associated with PESM, emphasizing that social media support enhances performance expectancy. Conclusion: This study showed that information is important to expectant mothers, which compels them to seek digital healthcare. With these findings, healthcare providers can incorporate digital health services into their ANC service to support women during pregnancy.

Gauging Public Interest in Pediatric Ophthalmology Conditions Using Google Trends.

Google Trends data were analyzed to assess search trends for pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus terms from 2010 to 2022. The highest average search volumes were "lazy eye," "strabismus," and "vision therapy." "Amblyopia" had the lowest search volume. These data highlight the importance of understanding the utilization of online resources in health care and patient education. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2024;61(4):e39-e42.].

Comparison of factors affecting Turkish citizens' search for online health information before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Health information consumers can acquire knowledge regarding health problems, combat health problems, make health-related decisions, and change their behaviour by conducting health information searches. This study aims to identify the sociodemographic and economic factors affecting individuals' search for health information on the internet before and during COVID-19. METHODS: In this study, micro data sets of the Household Information Technologies (IT) Usage Survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 2018 and 2021 were used. The binary logistic regression analysis was also used in the study. RESULTS: It was determined that age, gender, education level, occupation, social media use, searching for information about goods and services, internet banking use, e-government use, having a desktop computer, having a tablet computer, and region variables were associated with the status of searching for health information on the internet during the COVID-19 period. CONCLUSION: The main reasons for the increase in health information searches during the COVID-19 epidemic can be attributed to several key factors, such as society's need for information and meeting its need for information, access to up-to-date health data and increased trust in official sources. The study's findings serve as a valuable resource for health service providers and information sources attempting to identify the health information-seeking behaviour of the public and to meet their needs in this context.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) patient information-seeking behavior: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 13% of women in the United States of reproductive age seek infertility services. Assisted reproductive technology (ART), including in vitro fertilization, is used to help patients achieve pregnancy. Many people are not familiar with these treatments prior to becoming patients and possess knowledge gaps about care. METHODS: This study employed qualitative methods to investigate how patients interact with information sources during care. Patients who underwent ART including embryo transfer between January 2017 and April 2022 at a large urban healthcare center were eligible. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted between August and October 2022. Fifteen females with an average age of 39 years participated. Reflexive thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS: Two main themes emerged. Participants (1) utilized clinic-provided information and then turned to outside sources to fill knowledge gaps; (2) struggled to learn about costs, insurance, and mental health resources to support care. Participants preferred clinic-provided resources and then utilized academic sources, the internet, and social media when they had unfulfilled information needs. Knowledge gaps related to cost, insurance, and mental health support were reported. CONCLUSION: ART clinics can consider providing more information about cost, insurance, and mental health support to patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Massachusetts General Hospital Institutional Review Board approved this study (#2022P000474) and informed consent was obtained from each participant.

Adult age differences in noninstrumental information-seeking strategies.

We often seek information without any explicit incentives or goals (i.e., noninstrumental information seeking, often noted as a manifestation of curiosity). Does noninstrumental information-seeking change with age? We tried to answer the question by making a critical distinction between two information-seeking behaviors: diversive information seeking (i.e., information seeking for topics a person knows little about) and specific information seeking (i.e., information seeking to deepen a person's existing knowledge of a topic). Five hundred participants (age range: 12-79 years old) spontaneously read new facts about different topics. After reading each fact, participants were given the choice to read more facts about the current topic or return to the selection menu to learn about a new topic. We found that with increasing age, participants chose to explore more facts within a topic (i.e., increased specific information seeking) and switched less frequently to new topics (i.e., decreased diversive information seeking). These results indicate that while young people seek out a broader range of information, as people grow older, they develop a preference to deepen their existing knowledge. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Physician Perspectives on Internet-Informed Patients: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The internet has become a prevalent source of health information for patients. However, its accuracy and relevance are often questionable. While patients seek physicians' expertise in interpreting internet health information, physicians' perspectives on patients' information-seeking behavior are less explored. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to understand physicians' perceptions of patients' internet health information-seeking behavior as well as their communication strategies and the challenges and needs they face with internet-informed patients. METHODS: An initial search in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, and PsycINFO was conducted to collect studies published from January 1990 to August 1, 2022. A subsequent search on December 24, 2023, targeted recent studies published after the initial search cutoff date. Two reviewers independently performed title, abstract, and full-text screening, adhering to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement guidelines. Thematic analysis was then used to identify key themes and systematically categorize evidence from both qualitative and quantitative studies under these themes. RESULTS: A total of 22 qualifying articles were identified after the search and screening process. Physicians were found to hold diverse views on patients' internet searches, which can be viewed as a continuous spectrum of opinions ranging from positive to negative. While some physicians leaned distinctly toward either positive or negative perspectives, a significant number expressed more balanced views. These physicians recognized both the benefits, such as increased patient health knowledge and informed decision-making, and the potential harms, including misinformation and the triggering of negative emotions, such as patient anxiety or confusion, associated with patients' internet health information seeking. Two communicative strategies were identified: the participative and defensive approaches. While the former seeks to guide internet-informed patients to use internet information with physicians' expertise, the latter aims to discourage patients from using the internet to seek health information. Physicians' perceptions were linked to their strategies: those holding positive views tended to adopt a participative approach, while those with negative views favored a defensive strategy. Some physicians claimed to shift between the 2 approaches depending on their interaction with a certain patient. We also identified several challenges and needs of physicians in dealing with internet-informed patients, including the time pressure to address internet-informed patient demands, a lack of structured training, and being uninformed about trustworthy internet sites that can be recommended to internet-informed patients. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the diverse perceptions that physicians hold toward internet-informed patients, as well as the interplay between their perceptions, communication strategies, and their interactions with individual patients. Incorporating elements into the medical teaching curriculum that introduce physicians to reliable internet health resources for patient guidance, coupled with providing updates on technological advancements, could be instrumental in equipping physicians to more effectively manage internet-informed patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022356317; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=356317.

Do digital health information searches of individuals with chronic diseases affect health literacy and patient empowerment? A path analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the relationship between chronically ill patients' behaviors in acquiring and verifying health information from a digital environment with health literacy and patient empowerment using a structural equation modeling approach. METHODS: This study was carried out in a public hospital in Turkey between February and May 2023. The study consisted of 365 participants and used descriptive and correlation-based designs for statistical analyses. It also executed computations for descriptive statistics and correlations to carry out a path analysis to assess model fitness and to identify direct and indirect effects. RESULTS: This study identified that Web 1.0 and health information acquisition and digital verification variables statistically and significantly affected access to information, understanding information, appraisal (valuing)/evaluation, and application/use variables. The study also found that access to information variables was statistically significant on identity/identicalness, self-control, decision-making, and recognition and comprehension. The tested model fit the data well and adequately explained the direct effects of the variables. CONCLUSION: The study concluded by suggestively improving the chronically ill patients' media or digital literacy levels through special training to stimulate their internet use effectively.

Are Virtual Assistants Trustworthy for Medicare Information: An Examination of Accuracy and Reliability.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual assistants provide a potential opportunity for older adults to use this technology in the context of health information-seeking. Meta-analysis on trust in AI shows that users are influenced by the accuracy and reliability of the AI trustee. We evaluated these dimensions for responses to Medicare queries. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: During the summer of 2023, we assessed the accuracy and reliability of Alexa, Google Assistant, Bard, and ChatGPT-4 on Medicare terminology and general content from a large, standardized question set. We compared the accuracy of these AI systems to that of a large representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries who were queried twenty years prior. RESULTS: Alexa and Google Assistant were found to be highly inaccurate when compared to beneficiaries' mean accuracy of 68.4% on terminology queries and 53.0% on general Medicare content. Bard and ChatGPT-4 answered Medicare terminology queries perfectly and performed much better on general Medicare content queries (Bard = 96.3%, ChatGPT-4 = 92.6%) than the average Medicare beneficiary. About one month to a month-and-a-half later, we found that Bard and Alexa's accuracy stayed the same, whereas ChatGPT-4's performance nominally decreased, and Google Assistant's performance nominally increased. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: LLM-based assistants generate trustworthy information in response to carefully phrased queries about Medicare, in contrast to Alexa and Google Assistant. Further studies will be needed to determine what factors beyond accuracy and reliability influence the adoption and use of such technology for Medicare decision-making.

Adopting the risk information seeking and processing model to examine the impact of personality on vaccination intentions in Taiwan.

Using the risk information seeking and processing model, this study examined how five personality traits-extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness-influenced individuals' information-seeking behaviors and vaccination intentions. An online survey was administered by a reputable polling company commissioned by this study. The survey employed age, education, gender, and income as distinct strata for sampling, which resulted in 1100 valid questionnaires. The following five conclusions were drawn from the data analysis: (1) Of the five personality traits, two-extraversion and conscientiousness-exhibited a notable impact on individuals' information-seeking behaviors and vaccination intentions. Individuals with the remaining three personality traits-neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness to experience-demonstrate either passive or no information-seeking behaviors on COVID-19. (2) Conscientiousness was the only personality trait linked to increased awareness of COVID-19 characteristics. Moreover, conscientious individuals were inclined to avoid depending on ISNs to seek COVID-19 information and developed vaccination intentions. In contrast, individuals high in agreeableness heavily depended on ISNs for COVID-19 information to initiate information-seeking behaviors. Meanwhile, individuals high in extraversion relied on two variables-affective responses and ISNs-to begin their information-seeking behaviors. (3) Respondents' perceptions of COVID-19 characteristics and their affective responses did not positively influence their perceived information insufficiency directly; instead, both needed to be mediated by ISNs to initiate their information-seeking behaviors. (4) In contrast to the two variables-perceived COVID-19 characteristics and affective responses-this study found that ISNs regarding COVID-19 played a more substantial role in shaping respondents' information-seeking behaviors and vaccination intentions. (5) Unexpectedly, openness to experience was found to have no impact on information-seeking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coping with Non-COVID-19 Health Problems Through Communicative Action in Cyberspace.

This study investigated how the online health information behaviors of U.S. adults with illnesses unrelated to COVID-19 virus infection affected their coping with health problems and concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by the cybercoping model (Kim & Lee, 2014), the study examined associations between these patients' online information behaviors (information seeking and information forwarding) and coping outcomes (health problems and affective states). The study further explored the mediating roles of health coping processes (problem-and emotion-focused) in the associations between these information behaviors and coping outcomes. Survey data from 687 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results highlighted the significance of information forwarding in enhancing both coping processes and outcomes, while information seeking enhanced problem-focused coping and health-problem coping outcomes alone. These associations were more pronounced among U.S. adults without chronic conditions than among those with chronic illnesses. These findings' implications, the study's limitations, and suggestions for future research were also addressed.