Parents whose children have been diagnosed with cancer are more likely to search Google for answers to logistical issues, such as hospital and pharmacy information, as well as best methods to support their child, according to research published in Pediatric Blood and Cancer.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia researchers analyzed Google search histories from 21 parents of children of pediatric cancer patients at CHOP during the summer of 2017. The parents agreed to share their searches from the time of the study enrollment during their child's cancer treatment through six months before the child's initial diagnosis. Members of the research team who did not know the patients' identities organized the searches into categories.
Researchers found that parents' Google use peaked at around one month after their child's cancer diagnosis, and an estimated 1,900 of 11,000, or 18 percent, of health-related searches were cancer specific. Of the cancer-specific searches, more than half were for cancer support, including cancer charities queries and inspirational quotes.
Of the overall health-related searches, which were not cancer-specific, 31 percent were for symptoms, medical information and disease and 29 percent were for information on hospital, care sites and pharmacy.
Study leader Charles Phillips, MD, CHOP pediatric oncologist, concluded that providers and administrators should remember how important parents' day-to-day logistical concerns are, including traffic, parking directions and finding pharmacies that carry their child's prescription medicines, according to a news release.
Study authors concluded that next steps should include organizing larger studies that analyze a broader variety of cancers or wider range of online information sources.