Internet search query analysis can be used to demonstrate the rapidly increasing public awareness of palliative care in the USA

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah McLean ◽  
Paul Lennon ◽  
Paul Glare
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Search Query ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundA lack of public awareness of palliative care (PC) has been identified as one of the main barriers to appropriate PC access. Internet search query analysis is a novel methodology, which has been effectively used in surveillance of infectious diseases, and can be used to monitor public awareness of health-related topics.ObjectivesWe aimed to demonstrate the utility of internet search query analysis to evaluate changes in public awareness of PC in the USA between 2005 and 2015.MethodsGoogle Trends provides a referenced score for the popularity of a search term, for defined regions over defined time periods. The popularity of the search term ‘palliative care’ was measured monthly between 1/1/2005 and 31/12/2015 in the USA and in the UK.ResultsResults were analysed using independent t-tests and joinpoint analysis. The mean monthly popularity of the search term increased between 2008–2009 (p<0.001), 2011–2012 (p<0.001), 2013–2014 (p=0.004) and 2014–2015 (p=0.002) in the USA. Joinpoint analysis was used to evaluate the monthly percentage change (MPC) in the popularity of the search term. In the USA, the MPC increase was 0.6%/month (p<0.05); in the UK the MPC of 0.05% was non-significant.DiscussionAlthough internet search query surveillance is a novel methodology, it is freely accessible and has significant potential to monitor health-seeking behaviour among the public. PC is rapidly growing in the USA, and the rapidly increasing public awareness of PC as demonstrated in this study, in comparison with the UK, where PC is relatively well established is encouraging in increasingly ensuring appropriate PC access for all.

Seasonal variations and public search interests in Toxoplasma: a 16-year retrospective analysis of big data on Google Trends

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Liu ◽  
Peng Wang ◽  
Su-Qin Jiang ◽  
Zi-Rong Zhong ◽  
Ting-Zheng Zhan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Seasonal Patterns ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Search Volume ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Search Data ◽  
Relative Search Volume ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background This study aims to understand whether there is a seasonal change in the internet search interest for Toxoplasma by using the data derived from Google Trends (GT). Methods The present study searched for the relative search volume (RSV) for the search term ‘Toxoplasma’ in GT within six major English-speaking countries (Australia, New Zealand [Southern Hemisphere] and Canada, Ireland, the UK and the USA [Northern Hemisphere] from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2019, utilizing the category of ‘health’. Data regarding the RSV of Toxoplasma was obtained and further statistical analysis was performed in R software using the ‘season’ package. Results There were significantly seasonal patterns for the RSV of the search term ‘Toxoplasma’ in five countries (all p&lt;0.05), except for the UK. A peak in December–March and a trough in July–September (Canada, Ireland, the UK and the USA) were observed, while a peak in June/August and a trough in December/February (Australia, New Zealand) were also found. Moreover, the presence of seasonal patterns regarding RSV for ‘Toxoplasma’ between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres was also found (both p&lt;0.05), with a reversed meteorological month. Conclusions Overall, our study revealed the seasonal variation for Toxoplasma in using internet search data from GT, providing additional evidence on seasonal patterns in Toxoplasma.

scholarly journals Using Internet Search Queries to Assess Public Awareness of the Healthy Cities Approach: A Case Study in Shenzhen, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4264
Author(s):  
Jun Yang ◽  
Yutong Zhang ◽  
Yixiong Xiao ◽  
Shaoqing Shen ◽  
Mo Su ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Healthy Cities ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Factors ◽  
Data Source ◽  
The City

Cities around the globe are embracing the Healthy Cities approach to address urban health challenges. Public awareness is vital for successfully deploying this approach but is rarely assessed. In this study, we used internet search queries to evaluate the public awareness of the Healthy Cities approach applied in Shenzhen, China. The overall situation at the city level and the intercity variations were both analyzed. Additionally, we explored the factors that might affect the internet search queries of the Healthy Cities approach. Our results showed that the public awareness of the approach in Shenzhen was low. There was a high intercity heterogeneity in terms of interest in the various components of the Healthy Cities approach. However, we did not find a significant effect of the selected demographic, environmental, and health factors on the search queries. Based on our findings, we recommend that the city raise public awareness of healthy cities and take actions tailored to health concerns in different city zones. Our study showed that internet search queries can be a valuable data source for assessing the public awareness of the Healthy Cities approach.

scholarly journals Awareness of Medical Survey among School Teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 174
Author(s):  
Khalid B Alghamdi
Keyword(s):  
High School Teachers ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Jeddah City ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Awareness Level ◽  
Different Parts

The study aims to evaluate the awareness level regarding the importance of medical survey among a sample of school teachers in public and the private sectors. The study has investigated the presence of Otolaryngologic diseases including Dysphonia among teachers. A cross-sectional sample was selected from different parts of Jeddah city to enroll the elementary, intermediate, and the high school teachers. There were more than 800 schools; however, the study has selected 26 schools only. The study was conducted during the academic year of 2014. The awareness about medical survey among public awareness is of paramount importance in the detection, management, and planning of health related problems. The study has depicted less than acceptable participation from the school teachers regarding the awareness and management of health problems, and more efforts have to be made to educate the public sectors about the importance of the medical survey.

scholarly journals Seasonal variation and change trends for quit smoking: evidence from Internet search engine query data

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Wang ◽  
Dingtao Hu ◽  
Xiaoqi Lou ◽  
Nana Meng ◽  
Qiaomei Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Quit Smoking ◽  
Significant Seasonal Variation ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background: The outcomes of smoking have generated considerable clinical interest in recent years. Although people from different countries are more interested to the topic of quit smoking during the winter, few studies have tested this hypothesis. The current study aimed to quantify public interest in quit smoking via Google.Methods: We use Google Trends to obtain the Internet search query volume for terms relating to quit smoking for major northern and southern hemisphere countries in this research. Normally search volumes for the term “quit smoking + stop smoking + smoking cessation” were retrieved within the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia from January 2004 to December 2018. Seasonal effects were investigated using cosinor analysis and seasonal decomposition of time series models.Results: Significant seasonal variation patterns in those search terms were revealed by cosinor analysis and demonstrated by the evidence from Google Trends analysis in the representative countries including the USA (pcos = 2.36×10-7), the UK (pcos < 2.00×10-16), Canada (pcos < 2.00×10-16), Ireland (pcos <2.00×10-16) ,Australia (pcos = 5.13×10-6) and New Zealand (pcos = 4.87×10-7). Time series plots emphasized the consistency of seasonal trends with peaks in winter / late autumn by repeating in nearly all years. The overall trend of search volumes, observed by dynamic series analysis, declined from 2004 to 2018.Conclusions: The preliminary evidence from Google Trends search tool showed a significant seasonal variation and decreasing trend for the RSV of quit smoking. Our novel findings in smoking cessation epidemiology need to be verified with further studies, and the mechanisms underlying these findings must be clarified.

scholarly journals Trends and Patterns in the Public Awareness of Palliative Care, Euthanasia, and End-of-Life Decisions in 3 Central European Countries Using Big Data Analysis From Google: Retrospective Analysis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Huemer ◽  
Daniela Jahn-Kuch ◽  
Guenter Hofmann ◽  
Elisabeth Andritsch ◽  
Clemens Farkas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
End Of Life Decisions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Life Decisions ◽  
Advance Health Care Directives

BACKGROUND End-of-life decisions, specifically the provision of euthanasia and assisted suicide services, challenge traditional medical and ethical principles. Austria and Germany have decided to liberalize their laws restricting assisted suicide, thus reigniting the debate about a meaningful framework in which the practice should be embedded. Evidence of the relevance of assisted suicide and euthanasia for the general population in Germany and Austria is limited. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine whether the public awareness documented by search activities in the most frequently used search engine, Google, on the topics of <i>palliative care, euthanasia</i>, and <i>advance health care directives</i> changed with the implementation of palliative care services and new governmental regulations concerning end-of-life decisions. METHODS We searched for policies, laws, and regulations promulgated or amended in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland between 2004 and 2020 and extracted data on the search volume for each search term topic from Google Trends as a surrogate of public awareness and interest. Annual averages were analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression Program. RESULTS Important policy changes yielded significant changes in search trends for the investigated topics. The enactment of laws regulating advance health care directives coincided with a significant drop in the volume of searches for the topic of euthanasia in all 3 countries (Austria: −24.48%, <i>P</i>=.02; Germany: −14.95%, <i>P</i><.001; Switzerland: −11.75%, <i>P</i>=.049). Interest in palliative care increased with the availability of care services and the implementation of laws and policies to promote palliative care (Austria: 22.69%, <i>P</i>=.01; Germany: 14.39, <i>P</i><.001; Switzerland: 17.59%, <i>P</i><.001). The search trends for advance health care directives showed mixed results. While interest remained steady in Austria within the study period, it increased by 3.66% (<i>P</i><.001) in Switzerland and decreased by 2.85% (<i>P</i><.001) in Germany. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that legal measures securing patients’ autonomy at the end of life may lower the search activities for topics related to euthanasia and assisted suicide. Palliative care may be a meaningful way to raise awareness of the different options for end-of-life care and to guide patients in their decision-making process regarding the same.

The USA Electrical Grid

2019 ◽  
pp. 659-672
Author(s):  
Eugene de Silva ◽  
Eugenie de Silva
Keyword(s):  
Smart Grids ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Intelligence Community ◽  
Electrical Grid ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Usa

This chapter provides a discussion of the United States (U.S.) electrical grid. In particular, the chapter explicates the vulnerabilities of the electrical grid by placing a focus on public perception, cyber-attacks, and the inclement weather. The authors elaborate on the necessity of contingency plans, heightened security through the utilization of smart grids and microgrids, and improved cooperation between the Intelligence Community (IC) and the public. This chapter further expands on the importance of government agencies establishing community outreach programs to raise public awareness and build a strong relationship between U.S. security agencies and the public. Overall, this chapter highlights the key issues pertaining to the electrical grid, and provides solutions and strategies to resolve them.

scholarly journals Members of the public in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia expressing genetic exceptionalism say they are more willing to donate genomic data

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Middleton ◽  
◽  
Richard Milne ◽  
Heidi Howard ◽  
Emilia Niemiec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Experience ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clinical Value ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Scientific Value

AbstractPublic acceptance is critical for sharing of genomic data at scale. This paper examines how acceptance of data sharing pertains to the perceived similarities and differences between DNA and other forms of personal data. It explores the perceptions of representative publics from the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia (n = 8967) towards the donation of DNA and health data. Fifty-two percent of this public held ‘exceptionalist’ views about genetics (i.e., believed DNA is different or ‘special’ compared to other types of medical information). This group was more likely to be familiar with or have had personal experience with genomics and to perceive DNA information as having personal as well as clinical and scientific value. Those with personal experience with genetics and genetic exceptionalist views were nearly six times more likely to be willing to donate their anonymous DNA and medical information for research than other respondents. Perceived harms from re-identification did not appear to dissuade publics from being willing to participate in research. The interplay between exceptionalist views about genetics and the personal, scientific and clinical value attributed to data would be a valuable focus for future research.

scholarly journals Enhanced Public Interest in Response to the Refugee and Healthcare Crises in Greece

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ourania S. Kotsiou ◽  
Vaios S. Kotsios ◽  
Konstantinos I. Gourgoulianis
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
National Health System ◽  
Search Term ◽  
The Public ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Search Volume ◽  
Aegean Islands ◽  
Relative Search Volume

Background: The Greek National Health System (NHS) has been profoundly affected by the synergy of the economic and refugee crises. We aimed at evaluating the public interest regarding refugee and healthcare issues in Greece. Methods: Google Trends was employed to normalize traffic data on a scale from 0 to 100, presented as monthly relative search volume (RSV) for the search term queries: “refugees”, “health”, “diseases”, “hospital”, and “economic crisis” in Greece, from the period 2008 to 2020. Cross-country comparisons in selected European countries were made. Results: The analysis of RSV data showed an upward trend for the keyword “refugee”, in Greece, in the last five years, with two remarkable peaks from 2015 to 2016 and from 2019 to the present. Interest regarding refugees was more prevalent in the Aegean islands compared to the mainland. The mass influx of refugees has been linked to disease-related concerns. The search terms “hospital” and “health” have been the most popular and constantly quested topics since the beginning of the economic crisis in Greece, in 2009. Similar trends existed across Europe. Conclusion: There is an urgent need for effective public awareness of current politico-ethical and social-economic conditions. The patterns of public interest can formulate public policy.

scholarly journals Dietary strategies for the management of cardiovascular risk: role of dietary carbohydrates

2014 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Glycaemic Index ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dietary Carbohydrates ◽  
Scientific Advisory Committee ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Dietary Strategies

Carbohydrate-rich foods are an essential component of the diet, providing the glucose that is continuously required by the nervous system and some other cells and tissues in the body for normal function. There is some concern that too much carbohydrate or certain types of carbohydrate such as fructose or the high glycaemic index carbohydrate foods that produce large, rapid increases in blood glucose may be detrimental to health. This review considers these issues and also summarises the public health advice currently available in Europe and the USA concerning dietary carbohydrates. The UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition is currently reviewing carbohydrates and health, and the subsequent report should help clarify some of the concerns regarding carbohydrates and health.

scholarly journals Media coverage of mental health care in the UK, USA and Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 331-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Huang ◽  
Stefan Priebe
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Uk

Aims and MethodWe aimed to assess the contents and tone of articles on mental health care in the UK print media by comparing them with reporting in the USA and Australia. Two broadsheets from each country were analysed using the Internet for a random 4 months over a 1-year period. The number of articles, their content and the views expressed in them were identified and compared.ResultsA total of 118 articles on mental health care issues were found. The predominant tone of the articles in all three countries was negative, though there were slightly more positive articles in the USA and Australian media. Positive articles highlighted in the UK media covered mostly medical conferences and research findings.Clinical ImplicationsEfforts to achieve a more positive attitude towards people with mental illnesses in the public, such as anti-stigma campaigns, operate against a background of predominantly negative coverage of mental health care issues in broadsheets. The coverage in the UK may tend to be even less positive than in the USA and Australia. Medical conferences and research findings can, however, be used to promote positive views of mental health care in the media.

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