Effect of internet use on health-related behaviors and patient–physician relationship

Abstract

Objectives This work aimed to understand the relationship between internet use and health-related behaviors. Furthermore, the relationship between internet use and the quality of patient–physician relationship was assessed. Background The rise of the internet has been one of the most striking developments. First, it was quite different from all other media. Second, its presence also influenced communication systems, including interpersonal relationships. Most internet users use the internet to find information about health. They take knowledge gained from the internet to their physicians' consulting rooms. Patients and methods The study was a cross-sectional study. It was conducted on 600 patients. All participants were interviewed using a predesigned questionnaire included socioeconomic status, health behavior, and doctor–patient relationship. Results Overall, 31.8% of internet users were in the age group 31–40 years. Regarding socioeconomic standard, most cases were from high social background (57.3%). Regarding internet use, more than half of the studied group used the internet (87.8%). Regarding health behavior, there was a significant difference in internet use (P ≤ 0.001) and access to the internet at home and work (P ≤ 0.001). Regarding doctor–patient relationship, there was significant difference in age of patient (P = 0.004) and internet use (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion This study explained that the internet use was an important factor in changing in the communication system, and its effect on physician and patient relationship. With the increasing years of internet use, the doctor–patient relationship became better.