eHealth Trends in Europe: 2005-2007 Survey
Author Information
Author(s): Gunther Eysenbach, Ellen Beckjord, Lawrence Spero, Per Egil Kummervold, Catherine E Chronaki, Berthold Lausen, Hans-Ulrich Prokosch, Janne Rasmussen, Silvina Santana, Andrzej Staniszewski, Silje Camilla Wangberg
Primary Institution: Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine, University Hospital of North-Norway
Hypothesis
What are the trends and patterns of health-related Internet use in Europe over an 18-month period?
Conclusion
The Internet is increasingly being used as a source of health information by the European population, with significant growth noted among young women.
Supporting Evidence
- The percentage of the population using the Internet for health purposes increased from 42.3% in 2005 to 52.2% in 2007.
- Young women are the most active Internet health users.
- The Internet was perceived as an important source of health information by 46.8% of the population in 2007.
- Significant growth in Internet health usage was found in all seven countries surveyed.
- 22.7% of respondents used the Internet for more interactive health services in 2007.
Takeaway
More and more people in Europe are using the Internet to find health information, especially young women.
Methodology
Data were collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews across seven European countries.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to demographic variations in the samples and the use of weighting for data analysis.
Limitations
The study faced challenges in reaching a representative sample due to reliance on landline phones and cultural differences in interpreting survey questions.
Participant Demographics
Participants were from Denmark, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Portugal, with a focus on age and gender distribution.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI [41.3 - 43.3] for 2005 and [51.3 - 53.2] for 2007
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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