Trust, Information Appraisal, and Health Communication Behaviours Among People Living with Multiple Sclerosis

<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) are increasingly turning to the Internet for information about their condition and its treatment. However, online health information varies widely in quality, and patients often lack the eHealth literacy needed to distinguish reliable from unreliable sources. Objective This study examined how people with MS in the United Kingdom seek, evaluate, and judge the quality of online health information, with particular attention to information about medicines, and explored the features they would value in a curated, quality-assessed information resource. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was distributed via the MS Trust to adults with MS or their carers in the United Kingdom. The 55-item instrument, adapted from a previously validated questionnaire, captured demographic characteristics, internet use, eHealth confidence, perceived quality indicators, assessment difficulties, and preferences for a curated information resource. Descriptive statistics summarised the sample, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation tested associations between confidence, perceived importance of quality, and information-checking behaviours. Results One hundred and fifty-two participants completed the survey (response rate 38–40% of the calculated target sample). Almost all participants (99%) used the Internet to find MS-related information, and 84% sought information about their medicines online. Recommendation by a healthcare professional was the strongest indicator of perceived information quality (17.8%), and MS specialists were the most trusted source overall (32.9%). However, 54.4% of participants expressed concerns about online information quality, and only 47.9% believed search engines reliably return high-quality websites. Confidence in evaluating online medicines information correlated strongly and positively with perceived importance of information quality (ρ = 0.869, p &lt; 0.001) and with active checking behaviour (ρ = 0.677, p &lt; 0.001). Eighty-eight percent of participants endorsed the development of a single, quality-assessed website for MS-related medicines information, and 80% wanted visible details of how each source had been assessed. Conclusions Despite high engagement with online information, people with MS remain uncertain about its quality and find independent assessment time-consuming and complex. A curated, transparently assessed information resource, ideally with clinician endorsement and visible quality indicators, was strongly endorsed by participants and represents a feasible direction for future digital health interventions in MS care.</p>