Online Health Information Search Research Articles

Correlation between habits of using online health information and e-health literacy in middle-aged and older Chinese adults

BackgroundAlong with increased online dependency of supplying and obtaining health knowledge, e-health literacy emerges as one of essential skills for people with chronic diseases. ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the current experience and challenges associated with online health information use behaviors and e-health literacy in middle-aged and older adults, and offer insights for improving e-health literacy level and developing tailored Internet-based health knowledge dissemination services. MethodsFrom June to September 2021, a questionnaire survey was administered to 1 061 middle-aged and older adults in Shanghai communities, using a multi-stage sampling method. The survey instruments included General Information Questionnaire and the Chinese version of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). These tools helped measure participants' online health information use behavior and their e-health literacy levels. Multilinear stepwise regression analysis was employed to explore the relationship between internet health information use habits, other potential influencing factors, and e-health literacy levels. ResultsOf the distributed questionnaires, 1,019 were returned, yielding a 96.04 % response rate. In terms of approaches accessing online health information, 40.33 % (411 participants) used health media platform accounts, 32.97 % (336 participants) used search engines, 24.93 % (254 participants) engaged with health management apps or mini programs, and a smaller number, 65 cases participated in online health group. Regarding information sources, a relatively small number of residents relied on medical institutions (38.96 %, 397 participants) and medical personnel (18.35 %, 187 participants). The average eHEALS score was 27.62 ± 8.57. Participants demonstrated limited awareness in using online health information to solve their health problems (item 2 of eHEALS, 3.36 ± 1.27) and in discerning reliable from unreliable health information on Internet (item 6 of eHEALS, 3.38 ± 1.23). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that e-health literacy was influenced by several factors, including age, coverage of both social and commercial medical insurances, the use of at least two online health information sources and search approaches, behaviors of forwarding and sharing online health information, and holding positive attitude of accepting online health information. ConclusionThe e-health literacy of these middle-aged and older adults is moderate and influenced by various factors, including online health information use behaviors. To help them make better use of online health information and improve their e-health literacy, the authors recommended to provide authoritative information integration and retrieval platform, to strengthen regulation and supervision of health information providers, to develop older people friendly health information online platforms, and to help middle aged and older adults to better use online health information by mobilizing the resources of communities, families, health associations, and medical and insurance institutions.

Online Health Information Seeking and Preventative Health Actions: Cross-Generational Online Survey Study.

The popularity of online health information seeking (OHIS) has increased significantly owing to its accessibility and affordability. To facilitate better health management, it is essential to comprehend the generational differences in OHIS behavior and preventative health actions after seeking online health information (OHI). This study investigates the variations in OHIS and engagement in preventative health actions between 2 generations based on their technology use (digital natives [aged 18-42 years] and digital immigrants [aged ≥43 years]). Additionally, this research explores the mediating role of OHIS types on the generational effect on preventative health actions and the moderating role of OHI search frequency, gender, and the presence of chronic diseases on the generational effect on OHIS types and preventative health actions. A preregistered online survey was conducted on the Prolific online data collection platform using stratified sampling of 2 generations (digital natives and digital immigrants) from the United States in November 2023. Overall, 3 types of OHIS were collected: health wellness information search, health guidance information search, and health management information search. A 1-way analysis of covariance tested the generational differences in types of OHIS and preventative health actions, and a 2-way analysis of covariance tested the moderating role of OHIS search frequency, gender, and the presence of chronic diseases using 7 control variables. The PROCESS Macro Model 4 was used to conduct mediation analyses, testing OHI search types as mediators. Linear regression analyses tested age as a predictor of OHIS and preventative health actions. The analysis of 1137 responses revealed generational differences in OHIS. Digital natives searched for health wellness information more frequently (P<.001), whereas digital immigrants searched for health guidance (P<.001) and health management information (P=.001) more frequently. There were no significant differences between the 2 generations regarding preventative health actions (P=.85). Moreover, all 3 types of OHIS mediated the relationship between generational differences and preventative health actions. Furthermore, as people aged, they searched for significantly less health wellness information (P<.001) and more health guidance (P<.001), and health management information (P=.003). Age was not a significant predictor of preventative health actions (P=.48). The frequency of OHI searches did not moderate the effect of generations on OHIS types and preventative health actions. Gender only moderated the relationship between generation and health guidance information search (P=.02), and chronic diseases only moderated the relationship between generation and health wellness information search (P=.03). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to explore how 2 digital generations vary in terms of searching for OHI and preventative health behaviors. As the older adult population grows, it is crucial to understand their OHIS behavior and how they engage in preventative health actions to enhance their quality of life.

IMPACT OF DIGITAL AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT ON QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG RURAL OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Objectives In the current digitalized society, digital and social engagement are important elements in the well-being of older adults. This study examines how different types of digital and social engagement are associated with different aspects of quality of life among rural healthy older adults. Methods Older adults without cognitive impairments, residing in the community in Southeast Idaho (n=154) participated in the ‘Aging in Idaho study’ in 2018. Internet use for communication, instrumental purposes, and health information searches were measured. Informal and formal social participation were measured. Five aspects of quality of life (QOL) were measured using the WHOQOL-BREF. Multiple regression analyses were performed. Results Well-educated (M=16 years) rural older adults used the Internet for various purposes, actively engaged in social activities, and reported higher level of QOL for overall and life environment (e.g., M=4.6, Range=1-5). Internet use for communication was positively associated with QOL general health (β=.20, P &amp;lt;.05). Online health information search was negatively associated with QOL general health (β= -.42, P &amp;lt;.05). Informal social participation was positively associated with QOL overall (β=.17, P &amp;lt;.05), psychological health (β=.13, P &amp;lt;.05), and life environment (β=.20, P &amp;lt;.05). Formal social participation was positively associated with QOL social relationships (β=.16, P &amp;lt;.05). Discussion Digital and social engagement relate in distinct ways with different aspects of QOL. Older adults perceived QOL to be better when they actively adopted digital technology whereas maintaining social engagement well in the community. Promoting digital engagement which enables to facilitate social engagement in later life will be discussed.

Refining the online health information searcher typology: Applying the patient health engagement model.

Despite numerous quantitative findings on online health information seeking, little is known about the process of online health information seeking itself. The study aimed to learn about how adults search for health information online, whether Macias et al.'s Online Health Searcher Typology applies to a broader, non-university sample, and to better identify and understand online health searchers by employing the Patient Health Engagement (PHE) model. This study examined the role of engagement in online health information search processes using think-aloud qualitative interviews with 11 participants in their 30s to 70s. The research applied both thematic analysis and a quantitative coding scheme based on the PHE model to analyse the qualitative data that consists of 500 pages of think-aloud verbatim transcripts. This study found that four (flounderer, skimmer, digester and devourer) out of five types emerged as distinct search styles. Insights into engagement helped distinguish online health searcher types in this sample. The dynamics of the engagement dimension indicate that the online health information search process is multi-dimensional. It is comprised of different levels of cognitive, emotional, and conative responses, further extending the PHE model. Health science librarians and health professionals have a unique opportunity to help individuals better navigate online health search.

Are Cyberchondria and Intolerance of Uncertainty Related to Smartphone Addiction?

Smartphones are a medium for performing online activities, and one such activity could be the compulsive online health information search - cyberchondria. This study aimed to test whether cyberchondria and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) positively predict smartphone addiction (SA), adjusted for age, gender, daily use duration, the reason for using smartphones, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The sample consisted of 471 adults (55.2% women) from the general population without chronic diseases (Mage = 38.67). Regression analysis showed that IU was a positive predictor of SA (β = .17, p < .001), as well as cyberchondria (β = .14, p < .001), which had a unique contribution to the explanation of SA, relative to IU. Other significant predictors were average daily smartphone use and entertainment use, the latter being the strongest predictor in the model. These results revealed cyberchondria as a unique predictor of SA.

Assessing the national burden of allergic asthma by web-search data, pollen counts, and drug prescriptions in Germany and Sweden

BackgroundAsthma and its main phenotype allergic asthma are prevalent, chronic, and complex diseases affecting 4% of the population. One main trigger for allergic asthma exacerbations is pollen. Online health information search behavior by people is increasing, and analysis of web-search data can provide valuable insight into disease burden and risk factors of a population. ObjectivesWe sought to perform a web-search data analysis and correlation to climate factors and pollen in 2 European countries. MethodsWe analyzed the national web-search volume for allergic asthma-related keywords in Germany and Sweden from 2018 to 2021 and correlated it to local pollen counts, climatic factors, and drug prescription rates. ResultsPer capita, more searches were conducted in Sweden than in Germany. A complex geographic stratification within the countries was observed. Search results were seasonal with a peak in spring and correlated with pollen counts in both countries. However, anti-asthmatic drug prescription rates in Sweden, as well as temperature and precipitation in both countries, did not correlate with search volume. ConclusionOur analysis offers population-level insights about this complex disease by reporting its needs and establishing the correlation to pollen counts, which enables a targeted approach in the public health management of allergic asthma. Local pollen counts, as opposed to temperature or precipitation, might be good predictors of allergic asthma disease burden.

Laypeople's Online Health Information Search Strategies and Use for Health-Related Problems: Cross-sectional Survey.

BackgroundWith the increase in the use of the internet to search for health information about health-related problems, there is a need for health care professionals to better understand how their patients search for and use the online health information that may influence their medical decision making.ObjectiveThe aims of this study are to explore laypeople’s online health information search strategies and examine the relationships between their search strategies and utilization behavior of online health information.MethodsTwo scales, namely match and elaboration, were used to measure patients’ basic search strategies (ie, simple approach) and advanced search strategies (ie, integrative approach), respectively. In addition, the consultation scale was used to evaluate the participants’ use of online health information to consult doctors and others. A total of 253 outpatients without university education were purposely selected and surveyed. The participants were outpatients at a university-affiliated teaching hospital. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to analyze the measurement model to specify the measurement validation. In addition, the structure model of PLS-SEM was evaluated to examine the path correlations between variables and to execute interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses.ResultsThe results of the path correlation analysis by PLS-SEM showed that both elaboration strategy (path coefficient=0.55, P<.001) and match strategy (path coefficient=0.36, P<.001) were positively correlated with consultation on online health information with doctors and others. In addition, interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses indicated that there was a significant interaction effect between elaboration and match on consultation (path coefficient=–0.34, P<.001) and a significant curvilinear relationship between match and consultation (path coefficient=–0.09, P=.046).ConclusionsIncreasing patients’ exposure to online health information through both a simple search approach (ie, match strategy) and a complex search approach (ie, elaboration strategy) may lead them to appropriately use the information to consult doctors and others. However, the results of interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses highlighted the essential role of the elaboration strategy to properly locate, evaluate, and apply online health information. The findings of this study may help health care professionals better understand how to communicate with their patients through the health information on the internet.

The Effect of Online Health Information Seeking on Physician-Patient Relationships: Systematic Review.

BackgroundThe internet has now become part of human life and is constantly changing people's way of life. With the increasing popularity of online health information (OHI), it has been found that OHI can affect the physician-patient relationship by influencing patient behaviors.ObjectiveThis study aims to systematically investigate the impact of OHI-seeking behavior on the physician-patient relationship.MethodsLiterature retrieval was conducted on 4 databases (Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed), and the time limit for literature publication was before August 1, 2021.ResultsWe selected 53 target papers (42 [79%] English papers and 11 [21%] Chinese papers) that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 31 (58%) papers believe that patients’ OHI behavior can enable them to participate in their own medical care, improve patient compliance, and improve the physician-patient relationship. In addition, 14 (26%) papers maintain a neutral attitude, some believing that OHI behavior has no significant effect on doctors and patients and others believing that due to changes in the factors affecting OHI behavior, they will have a negative or a positive impact. Furthermore, 8 (15%) papers believe that OHI search behavior has a negative impact on doctors and patients, while 6 (11%) papers show that OHI reduces Chinese patients’ trust in doctors.ConclusionsOur main findings showed that (1) OHI-seeking behavior has an impact on patients' psychology, behavior, and evaluation of doctors; (2) whether patients choose to discuss OHI with doctors has different effects on the physician-patient relationship; and (3) the negative impact of OHI on China’s internet users is worthy of attention. Due to the low quality of OHI, poor health information literacy, short physician-patient communication time, and various types of negative news, patients' trust in doctors has declined, thus affecting the physician-patient relationship. Improvement of people's health information literacy and the quality of OHI are important factors that promote the positive impact of OHI on the physician-patient relationship.

Older age and online health information search behaviors: The mediating influence of executive functions

ABSTRACT Introduction Searching the internet for health-related information is a complex and dynamic goal-oriented process that ostensibly places demands on executive functions, which are higher-order cognitive abilities that can deteriorate with older age. This study examined the effects of older age on electronic health (eHealth) search behavior and the potential mediating influence of executive functions. Method Fifty younger adults (≤ 35 years) and 41 older adults (≥50 years) completed naturalistic eHealth search tasks involving fact-finding (Fact Search) and symptom determination (Symptom Search), a neurocognitive battery, and a series of self-report questionnaires. Results Multiple regression models controlling for potentially confounding psychiatric symptoms, health conditions, literacy, and demographic variables revealed that older adults were slower and less accurate than younger adults on the eHealth Fact Search task, but not on the eHealth Symptom Search task. Executive functions mediated the relationship between age and Fact and Symptom Search accuracy, independent of basic processing speed and attention. Parallel mediation models showed that episodic memory was not an independent mediator of age and search accuracy for either eHealth task once speed/attention and executive functions were included. Conclusions Older adults can experience difficulty searching the internet for some health-related information, which is at least partly attributable to executive dysfunction. Future studies are needed to determine the benefits of training in the organizational and strategic aspects of internet search for older adults and whether these findings are applicable to clinical populations with executive dysfunction.

Classification of the Use of Online Health Information Channels and Variation in Motivations for Channel Selection: Cross-sectional Survey.

BackgroundExisting health education and communication research routinely measures online channel use as a whole by, for example, evaluating how frequently people use the internet to search for health information. This approach fails to capture the complexity and diversity of online channel use in health information seeking. The measurement of generic online channel use may cause too much error, and it lends no support to media planning in public health promotion campaigns or scholarly research involving online channel use.ObjectiveThis study intends to present a thorough picture of patterns of online health information channel use and classify the use of various types of online health information channels, including WeChat, microblogs, web portals, search engines, mobile apps, and online forums. Under the framework of the risk information seeking and processing model, this study also analyzes the differences in individuals’ motivations for channel selection to offer further evidence to validate the classification scheme.MethodsThis study sampled 542 Chinese internet users in Beijing. The average age of the respondents was 33 years, female respondents accounted for 52.0% (282/542) of the sample, and the average monthly income ranged from US $900 to $1200. The study surveyed the use of 13 commonly used online health information channels and various sociopsychological factors associated with online health information seeking.ResultsThis study derived 3 categories of online health information channels: searching, browsing, and scanning channels. It was found that the use of online searching channels was affect driven (B=0.11; β=0.10; P=.02) and characterized by a stronger need for health knowledge (B=0.09; β=0.01; P<.001). The use of browsing channels was directly influenced by informational subjective norms (B=0.33; β=0.15; P=.004) and perceived current knowledge (B=0.007; β=0.09; P=.003). The use of scanning channels was mainly influenced by informational subjective norms (B=0.29; β=0.15; P=.007).ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that health communication practitioners and scholars may consider measuring the use of internet, new media, or online media more precisely instead of simply asking the public about the frequency of online channel use or internet use in the acquisition of health information. Scholars and practitioners may consider measuring the use of online health information channels by using the 3-category scheme described in this study. Future research is encouraged to further explore how people process health information when using different online channels.

Intergenerational Online Health Information Searching and Brokering: Framing Health Literacy as a Family Asset

ABSTRACT Latino populations are disproportionately impacted by health disparities and face both connectivity and health literacy challenges. As evidenced by the current global pandemic, access to reliable online health-related information and the ability to apply that information is critical to achieving health equity. Through a qualitative study on how Latino families collaborate to access online health resources, this work frames health literacy as a family-level mechanism. Interviews with parent-child dyads combined with online search tasks reveal how families integrate their individual skillsets to obtain, process, and understand online information about illnesses, symptoms, and even medical diagnoses. As they engage in intergenerational online health information searching and brokering, families creatively navigate information and communication technologies (ICTs) to address a range of health needs. Bilingual children help immigrant parents obtain urgent and non-urgent health information needed to care for other family members. When children are tasked with addressing a health need critical to their parent’s wellbeing, they collaborate with their parents to obtain, interpret, and apply online health information. Intergenerational online health information searching and brokering thus reveals family-level strengths that can be leveraged to promote both health and digital literacy among marginalized populations.

Calling Dr. Internet: Analyzing News Coverage of Cyberchondria

ABSTRACT Introduced and popularized by the news media, cyberchondria refers to excessive online health information searches associated with escalation of health anxiety. It has since received attention from researchers and health professionals. While many studies have focused on investigating the relationship between increased health anxiety and excessive online information seeking as well as factors associated with cyberchondria, there remains little knowledge regarding how the media represent cyberchondria, despite the fact that cyberchondria as a term was popularized by the news media. Through a discourse analysis of 148 news articles, this exploratory study examines the ways the news media defined and portrayed cyberchondria. While news coverage offers various ways to define and label cyberchondria, many news reports recognize that cyberchondria is a multi-level issue that requires multidimensional efforts from patients, doctors and technologies.

Perceptions And Use Of Internet-based Physical Activity And Health Resources Among Postmenopausal Women: A Qualitative Analysis.

PURPOSE: With about 80% of women over age 50 reporting little/no regular physical activity (PA), this group is the most sedentary population in the U.S. Social media and new technologies provide an opportunity for home-based health promotion and behavioral interventions. PURPOSE: Use a qualitative approach to explore how women over age 50 use social media and online activities to access health information and participate in PA. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted on a sample of healthy women over the age 50 years. A semistructured interview guide was used to acquire information on common internet use, online health information search history, and history of accessing physical activity programming. Responses were transcribed and examined for recurring themes and language-based sentiments using established qualitative content analytic procedures. RESULTS: All women were in their mid-50’s with a mean age was 55.5 years (range 53-56 years). All women were peri- or post-menopausal, and were either married or widowed. Facebook was the most commonly used online social app and was used to “keep up” with family and friends, to access support groups and read health articles. Fitbit was used by the majority of interviewees to track daily steps, sleep patterns, and calories burned during workouts. The participants also liked the goal-setting, self-monitoring, and social component (competition/social comparison) provided by Fitbit. MyFitnessPal was a commonly used app to track activity and monitor the relationship between calories consumed and calories expended. A number of women, particularly those with health conditions, accessed online sources to research medications/drug interactions and learn more about their condition. Participants reported that they were distrustful of much online information and were skeptical of many health web sites. Additionally, the women indicated that they would like to see more age-related content and access to communities of women of similar age. CONCLUSIONS: Internet access to social groups and health/PA information is important to women over the age of 50. This demographic is receptive to information and interventions accessed online that are age-appropriate and include a strong social support component.

Using the eye-tracking method to study consumer online health information search behaviour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce eye tracking as a method for capturing direct and indirect measures of online human information search behaviour. The unique contribution of eye-tracking data in studying information behaviour is examined in the context of health information research. Design/methodology/approach The need for multiple methods of data collection when examining human online health information behaviour is described and summarised. The nature of human eye movements in information use and reading is outlined and the emergence and application of contemporary eye-tracking technology are explained. Findings The paper summarises key contributions and insights that eye tracking has provided across multiple studies, with examples of both direct data on fixations and gaze durations as well as theoretical assessments of relevance and knowledge gain. Originality/value The paper provides a basic introduction to the application of a unique method for information research in general and online health information search in particular and provides readers with an awareness of how such data are captured and interpreted.

What Triggers Health Information Search: An Explorative Analysis on the Information Needs, Situations, Technologies, and Habits in Health Information Search Across the Lifespan

Given the access to online health information is no longer a problem, continuous growth in health information seeking has been observed. The goal of the study was to explore the triggers, information needs, contemporary technologies and habits of health information search behavior across the lifespan. The population who seeks online health information has increased stably for two decades (Diaz et al., 2002, Tennant et al., 2015). In addition to its prevalence, online health information plays an important role in patient decision-making. Almost half of people who searched for health information online reported that it influenced the way they think about health factors, and more than one third of them said it influenced their decision to see a doctor, or how they managed chronic conditions (Pew Internet Research, 2013). While earlier studies have explored the triggers of online health information seeking (e.g., Flynn, Smith &amp; Freese, 2006), health information seeking behavior may be evolved with the development of new technologies. To explore the triggers of health information seeking across the lifespan, 69 older (mean age = 63.94, 35 female) and 67 younger (mean age = 35.21, 31 female) adults were recruited to a survey study. We found that there was no age difference in the reliance on health information sources. Physicians and the Internet remained the dominant sources of health information, followed by family, friends and pharmacists. Regarding information seeking habits, there was no age difference in the overall frequencies of online health information search despite the fact that more older adults checked health information online daily. Checking medication information was the dominant reason to trigger both younger and older adults to go online, followed by searching online after doctors’ visits, and making treatment decisions. There was also a trend that older users were more likely to go online when they heard about a new or unknown health information compared to younger users. Further, we explored the information needs of online health information search. While older adults were more likely to search for learning new information than younger adults, more younger adults looked up online health information for confirming or clarifying known health information. Taking advantage of social health information, about one half of younger and older adults shared health information online with their family and friends, and went online for checking review comments of medications, healthcare providers, etc. from their peer patients. Further, while desktop computers remained the most used technology for online health information search, an age difference was found in the usage of tablets and smartphones. Older adults used the tablets to do online health information searches more than younger adults; while younger people used the smart phones to do online health information searches more than older people. Overall, we found increasing importance of online health information for adults across the lifespan, especially for older adults who tended to use online information for acquiring new knowledge about health topics. The triggers of online health information seeking were also not only bounded to doctors’ visits but also related to daily health information needs (such as checking medications). Interestingly, the use of tablets for online health information search among older adults could be associated with the perceived ease of use of tablets among older users (portability, bigger font size and the accessibility of interactions) (Jayroe &amp; Wolfram, 2012). As Pew Internet (2017) suggested that over a third of seniors own tablets, when designing elderly-accessible health websites, tailoring the presentation of health information to different media (including tablets) needs to be considered.

Health Behavior Nudging Through Health Information Exposure and Information Search

As the Internet has become one of the dominant sources of health information, online health information plays an important role for patients to acquire health knowledge and regulate their health behavior (European Commission, 2014). Researchers suggested different ways to nudge public health behavior through environments and policies (Marteau et al., 2011); few studies had explored the potential to use online health information environment to nudge health behavior. While there was established evidence showing the individual differences in online health information search behavior across the lifespan (e.g., Chin et al., 2009; Sharit et al., 2008), the current study was to examine the nudging effects on health behavior through online health information exposure and search. An online mixed-factor-design experiment was conducted on 136 adults across the lifespan (Mean age=49.79, SD=16.00). We examined two kinds of nudging routes, (1) health information exposure (manipulated by the experimenters), and (2) health information search (decided by the participants), on two kinds of health behaviors varying in the costs of taking these health behaviors. Target health behaviors included, (1) self-related health behavior: participants were asked to take a break for doing a stretch (low cost) or a walk (high cost) after long sitting; (2) self-unrelated health behavior: participants were asked to have researchers to donate to the rare disease association through writing down the date (low cost) or a 100-word endorsement article (high cost). In the experiment, each participant was assigned to read four topics (3 articles under each topic) and answer the questions after each health topic. The questions varied in difficulties, which participants could decide to answer the questions based on their own knowledge, their memory from reading, or searching the answers online. To manipulate health information exposure, half of the participants were assigned to read the online articles related to the target health behaviors (such as the harms of long sitting and the target rare disease). Participants were not disclosed about the study goals at the beginning. They were not told that the study goal was to examine whether they took the target health behaviors or not, but to examine how adults learn from online health information. To measure the actions of target health behaviors, for the self-related health behavior, after roughly 40 minutes of the study, participants were requested to take a break for 10 minutes. For the self-unrelated health behavior, at the end of the study, participants were asked whether they would like to show their support to a rare disease association. The manipulations in the costs of health behaviors were assigned in counterbalanced order. Logistic regressions were used to examine the effects of nudging routes and costs of actions on two kinds of target health behaviors. Results suggested that mere information exposure did not affect the likelihood to take the target health behaviors regardless of its relatedness to self-interests or costs of actions. Further, for self-related health behavior, adults were more likely to take actions after a more deliberate engagement with the information - through information search. For health behavior that was unrelated to self-interests, participants were more likely to take actions after they searched the information about this rare disease and only when the costs of actions were low. This study has shown the potentials and limitations of health nudging in different health behaviors, and has its implications on designing effective health nudging strategies on different health behaviors.

Consumerism in online health information search and self‐tracking devices

AbstractThe Internet hosts a plethora of health information and has become a popular source users turn to when looking up information. Nonetheless, the existence of this wealth of online health information generates challenges related to access and user skills. Whereas previous studies surveyed a cross‐section of users, our aim is to complement them with a population‐level study. We use nationally representative data collected by Statistics Finland between 2006 and 2016 to investigate the extent to which online health information search and use of self‐tracking devices associate with social, economic and demographic factors. We have used descriptive statistics and logistic regressions to show that, in 2016, disparities still existed in how Finns make use of the health information found online as well as appropriate new devices such as self‐tracking devices. The population level of this study aids us in understanding the degree of adoption of new technologies used by different demographics. We show that, despite having access to the Internet, certain factors influence actual usage negatively. Looking forward, a key limitation of our study is a lack of measures to determine how these demographics use health information to adjust their behaviour. In the Nordic context, important research implications relate to the persisting digital divides in health technology adoption.

Online Health Information Search: What Behavior for which Users? Towards a Typology of e-Patients

Online Health Information Search: What Behavior for which Users? Towards a Typology of e-Patients

Acceptance and barriers to access of occupational e-mental health: cross-sectional findings from a health-risk population of employees.

Occupational e-mental-health (OEMH) may extend existing instruments for preservation or restoration of health and work ability. As a key precondition to efficient implementation, this study examined acceptance and person-centered barriers to potential uptake of OEMH for work-related distress in employees with an elevated risk of early retirement. Within the framework of the "Third German Sociomedical Panel of Employees", 1829 employees with prior sickness absence payments filled out a self-administered questionnaire. Participants had a mean age of 49.93years (SD = 4.06). 6.2% indicated prior use of eHealth interventions. Potential predictors of acceptance of OEMH were examined based on the "Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology" (UTAUT) extended by work ability, mental health, eHealth literacy and demographic characteristics. 89.1% (n = 1579) showed low to moderate acceptance (M = 2.20, SD = 1.05, range 1-5). A path analysis revealed significant, positive direct effects of UTAUT predictors on acceptance (performance expectancy: 0.48, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001; effort expectancy: 0.20, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001; social influence: 0.28, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001).Online time and frequency of online health information search were further positive direct predictors of acceptance. Model fit was good [χ 2(7) = 12.91, p = 0.07, RMSEA = 0.02, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 0.99, SRMR = 0.01]. Attitudes towards OEMH are rather disadvantageous in the studied risk group. Implementation of OEMH, therefore, requires a-priori education including promotion of awareness, favorable attitudes regarding efficacy and usability in a collaborative approach.

What Did You Google? Describing Online Health Information Search Patterns of ED patients and Their Relationship with Final Diagnoses.

IntroductionEmergency department (ED) patients’ Internet search terms prior to arrival have not been well characterized. The objective of this analysis was to characterize the Internet search terms patients used prior to ED arrival and their relationship to final diagnoses.MethodsWe collected data via survey; participants listed Internet search terms used. Terms were classified into categories: symptom, specific diagnosis, treatment options, anatomy questions, processes of care/physicians, or “other.” We categorized each discharge diagnosis as either symptom-based or formal diagnosis. The relationship between the search term and final diagnosis was assigned to one of four categories of search/diagnosis combinations (symptom search/symptom diagnosis, symptom search/formal diagnosis, diagnosis search/symptom diagnosis, diagnosis search/formal diagnosis), representing different “trajectories.”ResultsWe approached 889 patients; 723 (81.3%) participated. Of these, 177 (24.5%) used the Internet prior to ED presentation; however, seven had incomplete data (N=170). Mean age was 47 years (standard deviation 18.2); 58.6% were female and 65.7% white. We found that 61.7% searched symptoms and 40.6% searched a specific diagnosis. Most patients received discharge diagnoses of equal specificity as their search terms (34% flat trajectory-symptoms and 34% flat trajectory-diagnosis). Ten percent searched for a diagnosis by name but received a symptom-based discharge diagnosis with less specificity. In contrast, 22% searched for a symptom and received a detailed diagnosis. Among those who searched for a diagnosis by name (n=69) only 29% received the diagnosis that they had searched.ConclusionThe majority of patients used symptoms as the basis of their pre-ED presentation Internet search. When patients did search for specific diagnoses, only a minority searched for the diagnosis they eventually received.