BACKGROUND: The Internet has become one of the most important sources of health information. However, few studies have assessed the characteristics of Internet usage by patients or how the information obtained affects decisions to undergo surgery. This study describes the characteristics of Internet usage by patients who intended to undergo plastic surgery at the Unified Health System (SUS) and private networks and how it affected their confidence. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was performed using data collected by 200 surveys filled out by patients before the operation. One hundred surveys were sent to patients attending the outpatient clinic of Plastic Surgery of Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital (SUS), and the remaining 100 to patients treated in private health clinics in Salvador, BA. RESULTS: The frequency of Internet use to seek health information on plastic surgery differed significantly between the SUS (n = 24; 24%) and private health services (n = 64; 64%). Most of the patients (n = 48; 54.5%) visited 1 to 3 sites. The websites of plastic surgery centers were the most sought (n = 74; 84.1%), followed by the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery website. Half of the patients reported the existence of contradictory information. Moreover, 71 (80.7%) of the respondents reported feeling that undergoing surgery was safe. CONCLUSIONS: The Internet was widely used to seek information on plastic surgery. Although visited sites contained contradictory information, most patients felt safe before undergoing their desired surgery.
Internet; Information; Plastic surgery
