This document summarizes a panel discussion on methodological issues and ethical challenges in e-health research. The panel discussed key issues like sampling biases in internet studies, ethical concerns around privacy and informed consent in online research, and challenges assessing the reliability and validity of measures administered online. Specific studies on online psychoeducation, a bipolar disorder program, and youth mental health education were also briefly described to illustrate these methodological considerations.

2. Methodological Issues and Challenges in eHealth Research Dr Judy Proudfoot , Black Dog Institute & School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Dr Lisa Whitehead , University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. Dr Caryl Barnes , School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, and Sentiens, Perth, Australia

5. Systematic review of methodological and ethical issues in Internet research Dr Lisa Whitehead

17. Sampling Issues in Internet-Mediated Research Dr Judy Proudfoot

21. Bipolar Disorder Education Program

23. Random Allocation Bipolar Disorder Education Program Email support from an apomediary + lnformation + Monitoring

32. A Solution?

33. Methodological Issues and Ethical Challenges in e-Health Research: Panel Discussion Dr Caryl Barnes MBBS,FRANZCP Doctoral fellow University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia ‘ HealthSteps (formally Recovery Road) for Bipolar Disorder’: an on-line relapse prevention program

44. Privacy / Confidentiality

54. Carbon Neutral: for a sustainable future in research The 6.09 tonnes of Co2 produced by the presenter’s flights from Perth, Western Australia to Toronto for the Medicine 2.0 Conference has been offset with www.climatecare.org.

55. The health of tertiary students: A mixed method study Dr Lisa Whitehead, Dr Shelagh Dawson, Avin Panckhurst Centre for Postgraduate Nursing Studies, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand

58. Pattern of response

59. Sampling issues

60. Correlations between measures

61. Distribution of scores- Single fatigue item Table 4. Single item fatigue measure (I feel tired for no reason) X 2 =0.07 df=1 p=0.79 (Armitage-Cochran test for trend) 969 39 90 424 416 Total 497 19 (3.8%) 52 (10.4%) 212 (42.7%) 214 (43.1%) Postal 472 20 (4.2%) 38 (8.1%) 212 (44.9%) 202 (42.8%) On-line Total 3 (Most of the time) 2 (A good part of the time) 1 (Some of the time) 0 (none or a little of the time)

62. Mean differences

63. Construct validity FSI- Mean differences in fatigue between the on-line and postal group

64. Mean differences on FSI items on-line, postal and scale development group

65. Correlations among the fatigue intensity and duration ratings as an indication of the construct validity of the FSI

66. Reach Out Central Evaluation Swinburne eTherapy Unit www.swinburne.edu.au/lss/swinpsyche/etherapy

67. www.reachout.com.au