JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

First detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the novel coronavirus (i.e., “COVID-19”) pandemic stretched the medical system in Wuhan and posed an immense challenge to the state’s risk communication efforts. Timely access to quality healthcare information during outbreaks of infectious diseases can be effective to curtail the spread of disease and feelings of anxiety. While these existing studies have greatly extended our knowledge about online health information seeking behavior, processes and motivations, rarely have the findings been applied to an outbreak. Moreover, there is relatively little recent research on how people in China are using the Internet for seeking health information in a time of a pandemic.

Objective:

The objective of our study was to explore how people in China are using the Internet for seeking health information in a time of a pandemic. Drawing on previous research of online health information seeking, this study asks the following research questions: How was the “#COVID-19 Patient Seeking Help” hashtag being used by patients in Wuhan seeking health information on Weibo at the peak of the outbreak?; What kinds of health information were patients in Wuhan seeking on Weibo at the peak of the outbreak?

Methods:

Using entity identification and textual analysis on 10908 posts on Weibo, we identified 1496 Coronavirus patients using “#COVID-19 Patient Seeking Help” and explored their online health information seeking behavior.

Results:

The curve of the hashtag posting provided a dynamic picture of public attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients faced difficulties accessing offline health care services. In general, our findings confirmed that the Internet is used by the Chinese public as an importance source of health information. The lockdown policy was found to cut off the patients’ social support network, preventing them from seeking help from family members. The ability to seek information and help online, especially for those with young children or elderly members was especially essential during the pandemic. A high proportion of female users were seeking health information and help for their parents or for the elder at home. The most searched information included accessing medical treatment; managing self-quarantine; and offline to online support.

Conclusions:

Overall, the findings contribute to our understanding of health information seeking behaviors during an outbreak and highlight the importance of paying attention to the information need of vulnerable groups and the role social media may play.