The Use of the Internet to Obtain Health Information among Infertility Patients



Abstract

The internet provides vital information to its users with a greater responsibility for providing health information. However, the research is required to be done regarding the issues of attitude and behaviour of the patients. This paper presents comprehensive study to explore the use of internet among infertility patients in Saudi Arabia to obtain health information related to fertility issues and to explore these patients' attitudes and motivations for using the Internet; to evaluate these patients' assessment of the information found on the Internet in terms of accessibility, clarity, and usefulness; and to determine the levels of satisfaction and confidence among patients.

The Use of the Internet to Obtain Health Information among Infertility Patients

Introduction

Obtaining the information on internet has made it an essential tool for people across societies to learn and explore health information. However, age, sex (Warner & Procaccino, 2007), and racial/ethnic disparities have been noted for Internet use overall and its use to obtain health information (Laz & Berenson, 2012; Warner & Procaccino, 2007). Different studies have been conducted so far, which highlight patients behaviour and attitudes towards obtaining health information, being more specific we may discuss fertility information. This paper aims to explore the use of internet among fertility patients in Saudi Arabia seeking information about such problems.

The subject and its importance

Performance indicators of the information and communications technology sector prepared by “The Communications and Information Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia” have indicated the use of internet in Saudi Arabia during the third quarter of 2012. Internet usage had risen from 5% of the population in 2001 to approximately78% at the end of the third quarter of 2012; currently 15.2 million Internet users are estimated to be in the Kingdom (CITC, 2012).

Previous studies have revealed that the size and density of demand for the Internet in Saudi Arabia are increasing; Saudis use the Internet on a daily basis for browsing, and 44.2% of these users browse for as long as 4 hours. Among Saudi Internet users, 64.7% obtain their news online, 17.3% obtain entertainment, 15.6% access studies and research information, and 2.4% use social networking (Al Gufaily, 2011).

In recent years, people have begun to use the Internet as a source of health information (Alghanim, 2009; Hesse et al., 2005). Studies have begun to approach the use of online health information sources through two theoretical models: Uses and Gratifications Theory and Media System Dependency Theory (Tustin, 2010). While these studies have addressed health information in general, there is an urgent need to address topics regarding specialized health issues, such as fertility and infertility.

Research problem

The paper explores the use of internet among infertility patients in Riyadh City to obtain information regarding fertility and infertility problems; exploring the motivations for internet usage; reviewing assessments of the clarity, accessibility and usefulness of internet-based health information; and identifying confidence and satisfaction levels.

Method

The paper presents a qualitative survey for collecting the information about individual's characteristics and behaviour and understanding ...