Nan Li|Sharon Orrange|Richard L. Kravitz|R. A. Bell
Reasons for and predictors of patients' online health information seeking following a medical appointment
University of California, Davis|University of Southern California|General Department of Preventive Medicine|University of California, Davis
little known patients online health information seeking primary care specialist medical visitto examine predictors patients postvisit online health information seeking reasons seeking information information sources usedsurvey online support group members n 311 recent medical visit measures included ehealth literacy patientcentred communication pcc postvisit changes worry online health information seeking reasons seeking information analyses based descriptive statistics logistic regressioneighty per cent patients went online postvisit common source used others forum posts 91 common reason curiosity 68 dissatisfaction physicians performance motivated information seeking 40 respondents multivariate analysis postvisit online health information seeking highest among patients ehealth literate odds ratio 173 95 confidence interval ci 111 271 p 0016 gave lower pcc ratings providers 045 022 090 p 0024 experienced increased worry due visit 519 136 1982 p 0016 ehealth literate patients made greater use specialized medical information eg online medical journal articles less literate patients primary care physicians rated patient centred specialists visitinduced worry led greater use interpersonal channels eg emailing forum members patients saw doctor less patientcentred likely go online due dissatisfaction doctor performanceonline support forum members often turn internet health information following medical visits information seeking shaped patient relational visit factors