# Navigating chest pain online: who uses health information and what actions follow?

## TL;DR

This study examines how people use an online health website for chest pain and whether they seek immediate care or wait.

## Contribution

The study identifies factors influencing care-seeking behavior after using an online health information tool for chest pain.

## Key findings

- Participants with cardiac-like symptoms were more likely to seek immediate care.
- Most users found the information helpful but chose to wait before contacting healthcare providers.
- The majority of users reported non-anginal chest pain.

## Abstract

Online health information websites, like Thuisarts.nl, guide patients with chest pain toward appropriate care and support sustainable healthcare use.

This study explores the demographics, symptoms, actions, and decision-making of individuals using Thuisarts.nl for chest pain.

A cross-sectional questionnaire was carried out (February 2022–October 2023) via pop-ups on two Thuisarts.nl pages about chest pain. Adults seeking chest pain information for themselves were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Responses were categorized based on whether participants sought immediate care or waited to contact a healthcare provider. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, and logistic regression examined the association between cardiac-like symptoms and immediate care-seeking, adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidity.

Of the 791 participants who started the questionnaire (response rate 10%), 66% were female, with a mean age of 52 years. Most participants (78%) reported non-anginal pain, while 5% described symptoms resembling typical angina. Participants with cardiac-like symptoms were more likely to seek immediate care than those with non-cardiac pain (OR 4.67, 95% CI 1.33–16.42, p = 0.016). Overall, 83% of participants found the information helpful; of these, 14% sought immediate care, while 86% waited before contacting a healthcare provider.

Thuisarts.nl for chest pain is primarily used by a low-risk group and is helpful to most visitors. While many wait to contact a healthcare provider after reading the website, those with cardiac-like symptoms tend to seek immediate care. These findings highlight the importance of providing clear, accessible information in supporting sustainable chest pain management.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-025-03110-7.