Experiences of Web Searches for Medical Information Purposes on Health Anxiety in the general population reporting to tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi

Objective: To assess the prevalence of internet use for medical purposes by the general public and to correlate it with anxiety levels. Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi from August to December 2020. Ethical approval was taken. A sample size of 385 was calculated through Rao software. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used. Informed consent was taken. A validated questionnaire was used. The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. Chi-square test of significance was applied. P-value less than .05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A majority of the participants used the internet to obtain health-related information. Majority of the subjects stated that the health-related searches exacerbated their anxiety. The negative effects of excessive or inappropriate internet use are stronger in women than in men. Participants from lower income groups were more prone to anxiety, however participants from higher income groups were slightly more likely to visit a doctor for a perceived health condition. The internet was helpful in understanding the terminology used by doctors for majority of the participants. Conclusion: The study found that most people who use the internet also use it for health related searches. There is a positive correlation between excessive health-related internet use and health anxiety. This correlation is stronger in women. Looking up medical terminology on the internet makes it easier for patients to communicate with doctors and understand their condition. Keywords: Anxiety, web searches, internet, cyberchondria