Predictors of women's Internet access and Internet health seeking

A random, population-based sample of 431 women aged 18-74 in King County, Washington, USA, completed a survey module on Internet use and access. Level of mental health, level of general health perceptions, older age, and higher income predicted women's health-related Internet use. Participants without access reported various barriers to obtaining access; perceived lack of usefulness of the Internet as an information source and unfamiliarity with using this technology appear equally important reasons as financial cost for not adopting the Internet. Internet use motivators are complex; these findings have relevance to the design of Internet-based interventions.     

Securing the Internet frontier

Just as in the Wild West, security strategies are being mobilized for the untamed Internet frontier. Technology developed by settlers from the banking and merchandising industries is being retooled for healthcare, where security-conscious industries see a big market opportunity.     

Records on the Internet

Many in health care see great promise in transmitting clinical information over the Internet because the protocols and technologies that make the global network of computer networks function are widely used and accepted. But so far, only a handful of organizations are actually using the Internet to send medical information. More are testing the concept on intranets, private networks that use Internet protocols and technologies. Security and reliability of the Internet remain top concerns for providers.