Effects of cancer patients' Internet use on their attitudes towards active participation in the medical decision making processes

(1) Background: Patients' active participation in their medical decision making processes leads to positive health outcomes. Thus, health practitioners have been developing strategic intervention programs to boost patients' skills to actively interact with their doctors. However, not much attention has been paid to the role of natural public health information environment.

(2) Objective/Purpose: This study examines cancer patients' Internet use on their attitudes towards active participation in the medical decision making processes.

(3) Methods: Breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer patients were stratified by cancer type and randomly sampled from a list of cancer patients diagnosed in 2005 in the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry (PCR), to which physicians are required by law to report all incidences of cancer. The first-wave survey was conducted between September and November, 2006, which is between 9 and 23 months after patients were diagnosed with cancer. One year later, the follow-up survey was conducted.

(4) Results: It was found that cancer patients' Internet use for health information at wave one lead them to want to be more active participators in their medical decision making processes at wave two.

(5) Discussion/Conclusions: Considering the beneficial effects of patients' active participation in the medical decision making processes, it will be worthwhile for health educators to recommend Internet use to cancer patients.