Use of Obstetric Practice Web Sites to Distribute Zika Virus Information to Pregnant Women During a Zika Virus Outbreak

Lehnert, Jonathan D.; Ellingson, Mallory K.; Goryoka, Grace W.; Kasturi, Raghuraj; Maier, Emily; Chamberlain, Allison T.

D issemination of health-related information to at-risk populations during an emergency is an important role of public health organizations and a central tenet in any public health response. 1 The importance of accurate, readily available health information has been highlighted as a necessity during prior public health emergencies such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (2003), H1N1 (2009), and Ebola virus (2014) outbreaks. [2] [3] [4] The Zika virus emergency is another example of a situation where the public is actively seeking information on a public health threat. Public health professionals at all levels have attempted to respond to this demand with a wide array of Internet-based tools and information portals. [5] [6] [7] [8] During a public health emergency, the Internet offers convenient access to unparalleled quantities of information, making it an attractive tool for finding the answer to a specific health question. Despite its popularity, one of the most glaring critiques of the Internet as a health resource is the inability of a consumer to verify the accuracy of much of the information. [9] [10] [11] This particular weakness may be more pronounced in a situation where the scientific knowledge base is rapidly evolving, such as in the case with the Zika virus epidemic. Public health recommendations are often made on the basis of emerging data and are frequently subject to change as remaining knowledge gaps are filled. When faced with such rapidly changing circumstances, patients often look to their health care provider to verify the accuracy of the information and personalize it to their particular situation. 12, 13 However, time constraints placed on clinical encounters and long periods of time between visits often result in providers lacking the ability to adequately answer all of the questions their patients may have. Furthermore, providers may be unaware of or unable to direct patients to a single resource that answers all their questions.