Internet and social media preferences of orthopaedic patients vary according to factors such as age and education levels

Background

Patients can often access the internet and social media for health information but it is not clear how much they trust and use the information retrieved.

Objective

To investigate the social media and internet use rates and preferences of orthopaedic patients, to reveal to what extent they self-treat, and to probe the affecting factors.

Methods

Two thousand fifty-eight patients admitted to an orthopaedic polyclinic were asked to fill out a survey (voluntarily) consisting of 15 items, to collect demographic data, preference for platforms and sources used, trusted sources, and the extent to which information obtained was used for self-care.

Results

The most preferred and most trusted sources of information were Google and other search engines, and physicians' personal websites (p < 0.001).

Discussion

Variables such as age, gender, educational level and occupation affect the research preferences. Reliance on social media decreases with increasing educational levels (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Health information and knowledge services should work with health professionals to improve aspects of health literacy among orthopaedic patients.