Patients' Reasons for Refraining from Discussing Internet Health Information with Their Healthcare Providers

This exploratory study examined factors that constrain patients from discussing Internet health information with their healthcare providers. Participants (N = 714) were asked to list reasons why they have not talked with their providers about Internet health information they had found. Factors (N = ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health communication 2008-11, Vol.23 (6), p.538-547
Main Authors: Imes, Rebecca S., Bylund, Carma L., Sabee, Christina M., Routsong, Tracy R., Sanford, Amy Aldridge
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Attitude of Health Personnel
Attributions
Biomedical Research
Choice Behavior
Communication
Female
Goals
Health care
Health Education - methods
Health information
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Information
Information Services - standards
Information Services - utilization
Information systems
Intention
Internet
Internet - standards
Internet - utilization
Male
Medical research
Middle Aged
Patient education
Patient Participation - statistics & numerical data
Patients
Physician patient relationships
Physician-Patient Relations
Studies
Time Factors
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Summary:This exploratory study examined factors that constrain patients from discussing Internet health information with their healthcare providers. Participants (N = 714) were asked to list reasons why they have not talked with their providers about Internet health information they had found. Factors (N = 767) included patient attributions about the information, systems or circumstances, fear of treading on the provider's turf, face-saving concerns, and patient perceptions of provider attributions about the information. Comparisons between those who had and those who had not talked to their healthcare providers about their Internet research revealed significant differences in types of constraining factors indicated. Issues concerning an increasingly Internet-savvy public and provider-patient relationships are considered in the discussion within the framework of the goals, planning, action theory. Continued efforts in provider and patient education can help to overcome barriers that restrict communication concerning Internet health research.
ISSN:1041-0236
1532-7027
DOI:10.1080/10410230802460580