The study, published in the journal Health, Risk & Society, was conducted by researchers from the University of Surrey.A team of researchers led by Afrodita Marcu investigated whether women sought health information online when experiencing potential breast cancer symptoms and, if so, whether they found it useful.Interviewing 27 women aged between 47 and 67 years old, researchers found different levels of engagement with the internet for health information, driven by a range of attitudes and levels of trust.Researchers discovered that although women are open to using the internet for health information, they often felt overwhelmed by what they found and became reluctant to conduct further searches.Furthermore, the majority of women who experienced such feelings went to see their GP, mostly because they felt that only a health care professional could resolve concerns about their symptoms and provide appropriate answers.Other women in the study were confident in looking up information online about their breast changes, and used it to interpret and act upon their symptoms.These women did not view online health information as problematic, nor did they express mistrust in Dr Google.

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