Table 4 Themes and sub-themes
Theme 1: Patient perspectives on using the internet to seek health information | |
Subtheme 1: Reasons for using the internet | Why patients/public use the internet for healthcare advice. |
Subtheme 2: Reasons against using the internet | Why patients/public are against using the internet for healthcare advice. |
Subtheme 3: The prepared patient | Why patients/public felt the importance of being prepared for consultations and more informed of their health. |
Theme 2: Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on and reactions to internet-informed patients | |
Subtheme 1: HCP’s perceptions for and against people using the internet for online health information | HCP’s reasons for and against patient/public use of the internet for health information. |
Subtheme 2: HCP’s reactions and behaviours to internet-informed patients | The importance of reactions and behaviours from HCP’s when faced with internet-informed patients. |
Theme 3: Sharing online health information with healthcare professionals | |
Subtheme 1: Communication | Enabling better communication within the consultation. |
Subtheme 2: Bringing online health information to the consultation | The decision of whether patients/public would disclose or not disclose their online health information research to their HCP’s. |
Theme 4: Impact of online medical searches and diagnosis on patient-healthcare professional relationships | |
Subtheme 1: Trust | Patient/public’s trust in the internet and HCP’s. |
Subtheme 2: Role changing | Change in the HCP-patient roles. |
Subtheme 3: The patient-HCP relationship | How has online self-diagnosis affecting the patient-HCP relationship. |