Advice from a Medical Expert through the Internet on Queries about AIDS and Hepatitis: Analysis of a Pilot Experiment

Advice from a medical expert on concerns and queries expressed anonymously through the Internet by patients and later posted on the Web offers a new type of patient--doctor relationship. The aim of the current study was to perform a descriptive analysis of questions about AIDS and hepatitis made to an infectious disease expert and sent through the Internet to a consumer-oriented Web site in the Spanish language. Questions were e-mailed and the questions and answers were posted anonymously in the expert-advice section of a Web site focused on AIDS and hepatitis. We performed a descriptive study and a temporal analysis of the questions received in the first 12 months after the launch of the site. A total of 899 questions were received from December 2003 to November 2004 with a marked linear growth pattern. Questions originated in Spain in 68% of cases and 32% came from Latin America (the Caribbean Central America and South America). Eighty percent of the senders were male. Most of the questions concerned HIV infection (79%) with many fewer on hepatitis (17%). The highest numbers of questions were submitted just after the weekend (37% of questions were made on Mondays and Tuesdays). Risk factors for contracting HIV infection were the most frequent concern (69%) followed by the window period for detection (12.6%) laboratory results (5.9%) symptoms (4.7%) diagnosis (2.7%) and treatment (2.2%). Our results confirm a great demand for this type of ask-the-expert Internet service at least for AIDS and hepatitis. Factors such as anonymity free access and immediate answers have been key factors in its success. (authors)