Exploring the practice and attitudes of psychiatrists and psychologists towards patient-targeted googling in China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patient-targeted Googling (PTG) is an unavoidable aspect of the internet era, offering both opportunities and risks. However, no PTG studies have been conducted in Asian contexts to date. Additionally, existing research has provided limited exploration of factors influencing PTG practices, particularly regarding the professional differences between psychiatrists and psychologists. This study seeks to address these research gaps.

Method

A total of 943 licensed psychiatrists and psychologists working in China completed an online survey. The survey included their attitudes towards PTG (including general attitude, application situations, reasons for/against PTG) and their actual practice of PTG.

Results

250(26.5%) respondents reported using PTG. Among them, 151

SUBMITTER: Feng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11491373 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature