How online ADHD-related information affects Chinese parents’ decisions?

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a major public health problem in China. Parents of children with confirmed, or suspected ADHD often face a difficult process in making decisions concerning diagnosis and treatment. The internet is a major source of information for parents. The purpose of this study is to survey Chinese parental motivation and experience in using the internet to retrieve ADHD-related information, and how well online information is associated with making decisions. METHODS: Parents were recruited to fill out an online questionnaire in the health portal. A total of 404 valid questionnaires were collected. RESULTS: A total of 47.8% of parents agree that the internet helps them to understand the potential treatment options, but 77.7% of all parents still have conflict during decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: Parents search for ADHD-related information online, but their acquisition skills need to be improved. Internet information affects their health decisions. Parents still have highly conflicting decision-making. Improving the ability of parents to obtain information on the Internet may reduce the conflict in decision-making. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12519-018-0207-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.