Abstract The use of the internet and social networking sites has increased all over the world. It serves as a medium for patients to search for health-related information; to interact with the health care professionals; to access health information online, and to participate in online support groups. The number of patients who seek information on the internet and on social media sites related to their health conditions is increasing day by day. The purpose of the current study was to examine the use of the internet and social networking sites for health-related information seeking. Quantitative research design along with the survey method was used, in which the structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The population consisted of chronic disease patients, that is, patients with hypertension and diabetes from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad. A purposive sampling technique was used for the selection of participants. Data were collected from 200 patients with equal proportionate from hypertension and diabetes patients. The research instrument was developed with the help of the related literature and then validated also. The findings of the study revealed that 45% of the patients indicated that they use the internet daily for health-related information seeking. The results indicate that respondents frequently use internet sources and social networking sites like WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, etc. Males and hypertension patients use the internet more significantly as compared to females and diabetic patients. Furthermore, patients often face the challenge of inadequate services (connectivity, network coverage, speed) during internet use. The study is the first of its kind that is reported from Pakistan. The results of the study may help libraries, health professionals, and diabetes-related organizations to design patient-centered policies and information-based services. These institutions may work together to create awareness and to help patients in managing their disease.

中文翻译：

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健康信息学：巴基斯坦慢性病患者使用互联网获取健康信息

摘要 互联网和社交网站的使用在全世界都在增加。它作为患者搜索健康相关信息的媒介；与医疗保健专业人员互动；在线访问健康信息，并参与在线支持小组。在互联网和社交媒体网站上寻求与其健康状况相关的信息的患者人数与日俱增。当前研究的目的是检查互联网和社交网站在寻求健康相关信息方面的使用情况。使用定量研究设计和调查方法，其中使用结构化问卷来收集数据。人口由慢性病患者组成，即 来自伊斯兰堡巴基斯坦医学科学研究所 (PIMS) 的高血压和糖尿病患者。使用有目的的抽样技术来选择参与者。数据是从 200 名患者中收集的，其中高血压和糖尿病患者的比例相等。该研究工具是在相关文献的帮助下开发的，然后也进行了验证。研究结果显示，45% 的患者表示他们每天都使用互联网查找与健康相关的信息。结果表明，受访者经常使用互联网资源和社交网站，如 WhatsApp、YouTube、Facebook 等。与女性和糖尿病患者相比，男性和高血压患者更频繁地使用互联网。此外，患者在使用互联网时经常面临服务不足（连接、网络覆盖、速度）的挑战。该研究是巴基斯坦报道的同类研究中的第一项。研究结果可能有助于图书馆、卫生专业人员和糖尿病相关组织设计以患者为中心的政策和基于信息的服务。这些机构可以共同努力提高认识并帮助患者管理他们的疾病。