The Characteristics and Motivations of Online Health Information Seekers: Cross-Sectional Survey and Qualitative Interview Study

Powell, John; Inglis, Nadia; Ronnie, Jennifer; Large, Shirley

doi:10.2196/jmir.1600

Cited by 423 publications

(354 citation statements)

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“…The qualitative data confirmed motivations [28,29] and enablers [30] found in previous research, and indicated that outcomes may be shaped by types of health information-seekers formed based on these motivations and enablers. This confirms that previously existing health behaviours translate to the online realm [28,31,32], as well as an emphasis on attitudes and skills as mediators for internet outcomes [17]. In that sense, online health resources become part of normal health practices, help-seeking, and everyday life information-seeking [33][34][35].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Characterizing the Digital Health Citizen: Mixed-Methods Study Deriving a New Typology (Preprint)

Powell¹

2018

Preprint

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BackgroundA key challenge for health systems harnessing digital tools and services is that of digital inclusion. Typically, digital inequalities are conceptualised in relation to unequal access or usage. However, these differences do not fully explain the differing health outcomes individuals obtain through health-related internet use. ObjectiveTo derive a new typology of health internet users based on their antecedent motivations and enablers, to explain how the different orientations of individuals influence the health outcomes they achieve through health-related internet use. MethodsA mixed methods design using qualitative data from 43 semi-structured interviews about individuals' general and health-related internet use, and how this influenced their health perception and their help-seeking decisions, and quantitative data from the Oxford Internet Survey (OxIS), a household survey of 2,150 adults in England about their internet use and other characteristics. The interview data were used to identify constructs which described motivations and enablers affecting how internet use shaped their health perception and health service use. These constructs were then used to 1 identify variables in OxIS which provided a quantitative measure of these constructs. A hierarchical cluster analysis of these constructs was then undertaken using the numerical variables, to derive a proposed typology of health information-seekers. ResultsBoth the qualitative findings and the subsequent cluster analysis suggested there exist six different types of individuals, categorised as learners, pragmatists, sceptics, worriers, delegators and adigitals. The learners have a strong desire to understand health better, and use the internet to make decisions about whether they need to see a professional, and to learn about their and others' health. The pragmatists primarily used the internet to decide whether it was worth seeing a doctor. The sceptics are sceptical of physicians and the medical system and value the Internet for solving health problems that doctors may not be able to deal with. The worriers found it difficult to interpret health information online, describing health information-seeking online as frightening, and reporting a critical attitude towards it despite doing so frequently. The delegators are composed of non-users and users valuing the internet as an information-source, but not necessarily wanting or being able to use the internet themselves. The last group of adigitals comprises many non-users, but also users, who do not see the internet as a useful information tool and presented strong views on its low suitability for healthcare. ConclusionsThis research supports a shift in the understanding of the digital divide in health, away from only access and usage issues, towards also conceptualising an "outcomes divide", 2 whereby different types of internet user derive differing benefits from their use. This new typology can be used to inform digital inclusion policies in health systems.[442 words]

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Characterizing the Digital Health Citizen: Mixed-Methods Study Deriving a New Typology (Preprint)

Powell¹

2018

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…Az orvos-beteg találkozások során a betegek úgy ér zik, nem kapnak elég információt [25], ezért -ahogy a fentebb bemutatott nemzetközi és hazai statisztikák is mutatják -böngésznek az interneten, vagy kihasználják a web2.0 nyújtotta interaktív lehetőségeket. Itt fontos megjegyezni, hogy angol nyelvterületen és magyar nyelv területen a betegek által elérhető tartalom hitelessége erősen eltér.…”

Section: Döntési Mechanizmusokunclassified

Az internet hatása az orvos–beteg viszonyra

Gaal¹

2016

Orvosi Hetilap

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Az internet kikerülhetetlen tényezővé vált az egészségügyben és az orvos-beteg kapcsolatban. Hatását két elméleti keretben érdemes vizsgálni: az orvosi hivatásra gyakorolt hatás mellett a döntéshozatali mechanizmusokkal való köl csönhatás elemzése segít értelmezni a jelenséget, hogy a páciensek az interneten informálódnak betegségükről, a le hetséges gyógymódról vagy az orvosról. Az orvosok többsége idegenkedik attól, hogy a páciensek az internetet is felhasználják gyógyulásuk érdekében, és aggályaikban nem csupán a betegek, hanem saját státuszuk, idejük féltése is megjelenik. Ez a félelem azonban nem indokolt, még akkor sem, ha a napi rutinba nehezen illeszthető be az "inter netbeteg". Az internet nemcsak szükséges rosszként értelmezhető, hanem hatékony kommunikációs technikákkal az orvos a maga előnyére fordíthatja a betegek internetezési szokásait. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(17), 680-684. Kulcsszavak: orvos-beteg kapcsolat, internetbeteg, közös döntéshozatal Impact of the internet on physician-patient relationshipInternet became an inevitable phenomenon in the physician-patient relationship. The author analyzes it in two theo retical models: the effects on the medical profession and the interference with the decision making process. These will help to explain why patients search the internet for information about their illness, cure and their doctors. Some physicians dislike this, and they are not just worried about the patient, but about their own position and time. This fear is groundless, even if the internet patient can be hard to tackle in the daily routine. Internet can be seen not only as a necessary evil, but with proper communication skills physicians can benefit from their patients' passion to inter net. A címbeli "viszony" kifejezés tudatos választás a sokkal elterjedtebb orvos-beteg kommunikáció vagy orvos-beteg kapcsolat helyett. Arra utal, hogy az internet nemcsak az orvos és páciens közti kommunikációra (mint módra), nem is csak kettejük kapcsolatára (annak minőségére) hat, hanem az egész társadalmigazdasági viszonyrend szerre. Arra, ahogy ez a két társadalmi szerep korábbi önmagához és egymáshoz képest változik. A változás azoknak a gazdasági, technikai és társadalmi folyamatok nak köszönhető, amelyeket ugyan nem az internet meg jelenése indított el, de térhódítása felgyorsított és elmé lyített, más minőséget teremtve. KeywordsMagyarországon alig született még tudományos kuta tás a páciensek egészségüggyel, saját egészségi állapotuk kal összefüggő internetezési szokásairól és az orvosok internethez való viszonyáról. Pedig az internetet rend szeresen használók tömege már bőven elérte a kritikus tömeget, így a jelenséggel foglalkozni kell. Tavaly nálunk az internetezés szempontjából releváns korosztály (16-74 évesek) 72%a, 2014ben pedig 74%a netezett rend szeresen (hetente legalább egyszer). A magyarországi adatok alig néhány százalékponttal maradnak el az Euró pai Unió átlagától, ahol ezek a mutatók 76 és 75% [1]. Az egészségüggyel összefüggő internetezés hazai trendje megfelel az angolszász ország...

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“…This trend is not surprising, because patients and families (ie, "consumers") are increasingly turning to the Internet for health-related information. [6][7][8] Consumers now have multiple online venues for seeking information on the pricing of health care services, 9 as well as the quality of physicians.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Awareness and Use of Online Physician Rating Sites

Hanauer

Zheng

Singer³

et al. 2014

Pediatrics

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Public awareness and usage of physician-rating Web sites have been increasing over the last few years. Such ratings can influence adults' decisions about choosing a physician, but their influence on decisions for children' s physicians has not been characterized. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:In this nationally representative survey of parents, we found that the majority (74%) are aware of rating Web sites and slightly more than one-quarter (28%) had sought information on rating Web sites when choosing a primary care physician for their children. abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The US public is increasingly using online rating sites to make decisions about a variety of consumer goods and services, including physicians. We sought to understand, within the context of other types of rating sites, parents' awareness, perceptions, and use of physician-rating sites for choosing primary care physicians for their children. METHODS:This cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of 3563 adults was conducted in September 2012. Participants were asked about rating Web sites in the context of finding a primary care physician for their children and about their previous experiences with such sites. RESULTS:Overall, 2137 (60%) of participants completed the survey. Among these respondents, 1619 were parents who were included in the present analysis. About three-quarters (74%) of parents were aware of physician-rating sites, and about one-quarter (28%) had used them to select a primary care physician for their children. Based on 3 vignettes for which respondents were asked if they would follow a neighbor' s recommendation about a primary care physician and using multivariate analyses, respondents exposed to a neighbor' s recommendation and positive online physician ratings were significantly more likely to choose the recommended physician (adjusted odds ratio: 3.0 [95% confidence interval: 2.1-4.4]) than respondents exposed to the neighbor's recommendation alone. Conversely, respondents exposed to the neighbor's recommendation and negative online ratings were significantly less likely to choose the neighbor children's physician (adjusted odds ratio: 0.09 [95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.3]). CONCLUSIONS:Parents are beginning to use online physician ratings, and these ratings have the potential to influence choices of their children' s primary care physician. Pediatrics 2014;134:e966-e975 AUTHORS:

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The Characteristics and Motivations of Online Health Information Seekers: Cross-Sectional Survey and Qualitative Interview Study

Cited by 423 publications

References 35 publications

Characterizing the Digital Health Citizen: Mixed-Methods Study Deriving a New Typology (Preprint)

Characterizing the Digital Health Citizen: Mixed-Methods Study Deriving a New Typology (Preprint)

Az internet hatása az orvos–beteg viszonyra

Parental Awareness and Use of Online Physician Rating Sites

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