Acceptability of Sharing Internet Browsing History for Cancer Research: Think-Aloud and Interview Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Growing interest surrounds how internet search behaviors might provide digital signals of disease prior to diagnosis, for example, when people search symptoms online. Internet browsing data offer novel opportunities for understanding response to symptoms, public health surveillance, and early intervention in conditions such as cancer. However, the acceptability of using such sensitive data in medical research remains unclear, particularly among individuals at higher risk of health and digital exclusion, such as older adults and those from minority ethnic groups or with a lower socioeconomic status.

Objective

This study aims to explore the feasibility and acceptability of using internet browsing history data for health research.

Methods

Participants were pur

SUBMITTER: Gradwell NC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863654 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature