Datafolha: Google is the most used for questions about health – 05/29/2023 – Health

Datafolha: Google is the most used for questions about health – 05/29/2023 – Health


A Datafolha survey carried out across Brazil concluded that Google is the most cited way to access health information among the country’s inhabitants. The search engine came to be mentioned more than doctors, but it is not considered the most reliable way to access answers to questions about diseases.

wanted by Sheet In commenting, Google said the platform’s focus is on helping people “find care and health information that is relevant, from credible sources, and easy to understand.” It also informed that it works with partners to deliver quality resources and said that the search results “are for informational purposes only and do not replace a medical consultation”.

With a margin of error of two percentage points for more or less, the survey took place in November 2022 and was sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Abbvie. He had different questions about health topics. In one of them, the 2,041 participants in the sample, all over 16 years old, indicated, in a multiple-choice list, which were the ways used to access health data.

Google was the most chosen among all, appearing in 47% of all responses. In second place, there is a trusted doctor or one from the health center, with 42%. The data, however, is not a big surprise.

“Google has really become a reference. People even talk about Google, that people go there and look for anything about symptoms, diseases and medicines”, says Amaro Grassi, coordinator of the School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV and researcher at scanning area.

He explains that this is due to the advancement of technologies in recent years, which facilitated access to the internet. Data from the Datafolha survey also demonstrate this. Another version of the same survey took place in 2019. That year, Google reached the percentage of 37% – that is, it rose by ten percentage points in the updated edition of the study.

In the meantime, the Covid-19 pandemic occurred, which may explain the greater citation of Google as a source of health by Brazilians. “People, out of necessity, looked for solutions and information at hand, because the internet actually provided this possibility”, says Grassi, referring to the period of the health emergency.

But the FGV researcher points out that the growth of Google, and also of other digital tools, as sources of information is not the result of the pandemic alone. The phenomenon has been seen before, and the relevance should continue to rise even with the cooling of Covid-19 infections.

Trust

Another question presented in the survey was to indicate which source was the safest. In this case, the participant had to choose the method they considered most reliable when it came to health concerns.

The situation seen in the previous question was reversed: physicians were in the first position, with 38% of mentions, and Google moved to second place, with 19%.

For César Eduardo Fernandes, president of AMB (Brazilian Medical Association), the difference demonstrates that the population is aware of the difference between the two sources: while Google would be more relevant for an initial consultation, professionals remain the most relevant in confirming diseases , prevention and treatment.

“It shows that the population is not mistaken in relation to the role of one instance or another”, he summarizes.

Social media

Another digital source that appeared was social networks. Merging different platforms, they were observed in 23% of participants’ responses in 2022. Three years earlier, in 2019, the percentage was 15%.

The growth follows the same logic as what happened with Google, says Grassi. “This general trend towards a digitization process is very clear, towards the predominance of the digital environment as a space for accessing information.”

Still, social media lagged behind traditional media such as newspapers, magazines and radio. These appeared in 29% of respondents’ responses in 2022.

It’s a problem?

Changes in information access habits are not necessarily a negative factor. Both Grassi and Fernandes argue that technological advancement facilitates the dissemination of explanations on different subjects, something interesting. “Having access to information is always good”, summarizes Fernandes.

A dilemma, however, is what kind of explanations Internet users are accessing on the internet. At the same time that people can obtain information based on scientific evidence or from serious professionals, they can also be victims of false information.

For Grassi, this scenario makes it necessary to have greater regulation in the digital environment, a topic under discussion in the Fake News PL. “There needs to be real accountability mechanisms for a platform that monetizes or gains engagement from fake content.”

In addition, the FGV researcher advocates that public authorities use digital media to disseminate reliable information. An example would be measures and partnerships with the Ministry of Health to appear in the first positions when someone searches for a health topic on digital platforms.

Fernandes also indicates that, when accessing information on the internet, it is important to validate it with an appropriate professional. In the case of health, a doctor, for example. “It is not responsible to make decisions solely and exclusively with this information that I seek”, he concludes.



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