This approach has been adopted by CCO to develop practice guidelines across Ontario, and by CCO's Policy Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the MOH on funding of new expensive oncology treatments. It subsequently has been adopted by the Canadian Breast Cancer Initiative for national guidelines for the management of breast cancer. The increased popularity of the Internet has resulted in increasing numbers of consumers and providers gaining access to increasing volumes of cancer treatment information. If use of the Internet as a decision making aid is to do more good than harm, it is important that users have the essential tools to judge the validity, importance and applicability of information they find on the Internet. The purpose of the study was to better understand how health information on the Internet is accessed, evaluated and incorporated in treatment decisions by consumers and their health care providers.
Further analysis is ongoing.
Results of the study will be instrumental in the development of an instrument for consumers to assess the validity of information found on the Internet.