Provider-patient communication is an important factor influencing patients' satisfaction and health outcomes. This study draws upon the uses and gratification theory to examine how individuals' perception of communication with healthcare providers is associated with their Internet use for health-related activities. Using the data from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), we found that as individuals perceived their communication with providers to be less patient-centered, they were more likely to engage in various types of online health activities, such as using websites for healthy lifestyles, searching for healthcare providers, and seeking health information. Trust in online health information was also found to be a significant predictor of online health activities. The results of this study emphasized the important role of provider-patient communication in motivating individuals to turn to the Internet for health purposes.

To better understand participation in computer-mediated social support (CMSS) groups for breast cancer patients, this study examines two overarching questions of: 1) who are posters, lurkers, or non-users? and 2) what role do these different types of engagement play in explaining psychosocial health outcomes? This study incorporates the comprehensive model of information seeking and two competing models of social enhancement and social compensation, as well as the literature of lurking and posting behaviors in online groups to answer research questions. Our findings suggest that patterns of engagement in a CMSS group differed according to patients’ socio-demographic characteristics and psychosocial factors. In addition, we found that lurkers have a higher level of perceived functional well-being than posters at 3 months post-baseline. Theoretical and practical implications for effective online cancer support group campaigns are discussed.

This study explored how social media, especially Twitter, serves as a viable place for communicating about cancer. Using a 2-step analytic method that combined social network analysis and computer-aided content analysis, this study investigated (a) how different types of network structures explain retweeting behavior and (b) which types of tweets are retweeted and why some messages generate more interaction among users. The analysis revealed that messages written by users who had a higher number of followers, a higher level of personal influence over the interaction, and closer relationships and similarities with other users were retweeted. In addition, a tweet with a higher level of positive emotion was more likely to be retweeted, whereas a tweet with a higher level of tentative words was less likely to be retweeted. These findings imply that Twitter can be an effective tool for the dissemination of health information. Theoretical and practical implications for psychosocial interventions for people with health concerns are discussed.

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