Health‐related Google searches performed by parents of pediatric oncology patients

Background Little is known about the specific information parents of children with cancer search for online. Understanding the content of parents’ searches over time could offer insight into what matters most to parents and identify knowledge gaps that could inform more comprehensive approaches to f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric blood & cancer 2019-08, Vol.66 (8), p.e27795-n/a
Main Authors: Phillips, Charles A., Hunt, Alaina, Salvesen‐Quinn, Mikaela, Guerra, Jorge, Schapira, Marilyn M., Bailey, L. Charles, Merchant, Raina M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Cancer
Child
Decision Making
Diagnosis
digital health
Female
Google
Health Information Exchange - statistics & numerical data
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Hematology
Humans
internet
Internet - statistics & numerical data
Male
Medical diagnosis
Medical Oncology - statistics & numerical data
Neoplasms - diagnosis
Oncology
Parents & parenting
Parents - education
Patients
pediatric oncology
Pediatrics
quantified‐self research
Retrospective Studies
supportive care
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teaching methods
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Summary:Background Little is known about the specific information parents of children with cancer search for online. Understanding the content of parents’ searches over time could offer insight into what matters most to parents and identify knowledge gaps that could inform more comprehensive approaches to family education and support. Methods We describe parents’ health‐related Google searches starting six months before cancer diagnosis and extending through the date of study enrollment, which was at least one month after initiating cancer treatment. Searches were obtained retrospectively and grouped into health‐related and non‐health‐related categories. The median time to parent enrollment from date of cancer diagnosis was 264 days. Results Parents searched for health‐related topics more frequently than the general population (13% vs 5%). Health‐related searches increased in the months preceding the child's cancer diagnosis and most commonly pertained to symptoms and logistics, “directions to hospital.” Health‐related search volume peaked about a month after cancer diagnosis when general health‐related searches were present in addition to cancer‐specific searches. Eighteen percent of health‐related searches were cancer specific, and of these cancer‐specific searches, 54% pertained to support, for example “cancer quote for son.” Conclusions Google search content offers insight into what matters to parents of cancer patients. Understanding search content could inform more comprehensive approaches to family education and support initiatives.
ISSN:1545-5009
1545-5017
DOI:10.1002/pbc.27795