Information Seeking Behavior versus Scientific Publication Behavior: An infodemiological study on prostate cancer

Background and Aim: The current study aimed to investigate the state of health information supply and demand on prostate cancer among Iranian medical researchers and Iranian web users during 2011 to 2015. The purpose of this study, based on infodemiology indicators, was to investigate the alignment of health information supply and demand on prostate cancer among Iranian medical researchers and Iranian web users. Methods: A mixed method research was conducted. In qualitative part, a focus group interview was applied to the users to identify their selected keywords searched for prostate cancer in Google. The collected data were analyzed using Open Code software. In quantitative part, data were synthesized using R software in two parts. First, users’ internet information-seeking behavior was analyzed using Google Trends outputs during 2011 to 2015. Second, the scientific publication of Iranian prostate cancer specialists was surveyed using PubMed during the period of the study. Results: The results showed that the search volume index of preferred keywords on prostate cancer have decreased from 2191 in 2011 to 1798 in 2015. Also, the findings revealed that Iranian scholars had 161 scientific papers on prostate cancer in PubMed during 2011 to 2015. Among these 161 papers, 20 records related to 2011 and 44 records related to 2015. There was no significant relationship between users’ information seeking behavior in Google Trends and the scientific publication behavior of Iranian prostate cancer specialists (p>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, when the search volume index of Iranian web users decreased or increased during the period of the study, the number of scientific publications had not been affected by users’ search volume. Thus, it can be mentioned that Iranian scholars had not pay enough attention to the concerns of people toward prostate cancer.