Abstract

SANTOS, Gabriela Silva dos et al. Pursuing online health information: Coping strategies of adolescents with chronic diseases. Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Saúde Mental [online]. 2016, n.spe4, pp.33-38. ISSN 1647-2160.  https://doi.org/10.19131/rpesm.0138.

BACKGROUND: The Internet and the virtual network allow us to locate information regarding several different matters according to the public interest, and also to create groups for discussions about these. AIM: To understand the positive and negative aspects related to the pursuit of health information on the internet by adolescents with chronic disease. METHODS: Qualitative research, held from semi-structured interviews with adolescents undergoing treatment in the outpatient unit of a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro. RESULTS: Positive aspects such as the understanding of the chronic disease and the influence of media both in the treatment and the self-care procedures have been pinpointed. Furthermore, negative aspects such as the lack of intelligible contents and the difficulty in identifying the safety of the websites as well as the veracity of the information were presented. CONCLUSIONS: This proves to us that the presence of the nursing professional in the virtual environment should be valued as a benchmark that guides and produces trustworthy information about health and care.

Keywords : Adolescent; Chronic disease; Social network.

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