Trends in patient information preferences and acquisition.

Background: Americans have access to medical information from a variety of sources, including readily accessible information on the Internet. As the American population's trust in online sources changes over time, it is possible that their cancer information-seeking preferences and behaviors also may change.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess longitudinal trends in cancer information-seeking preferences and behaviors based on data collected in 3 Health Information National Trends Surveys (HINTS) administered by the National Cancer Institute.