a Institute of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health , Medical University of Vienna.
Health Commun. 2017 Nov;32(11):1342-1349. doi: 10.1080/10410236.2016.1220044. Epub 2016 Oct 6.
Ubiquitous Internet access currently revolutionizes the way people acquire information by creating a complex, worldwide information network. The impact of Internet use on the doctor-patient relationship is a moving target that varies across sociodemographic strata and nations. To increase scientific knowledge on the patient-Web-physician triangle in Austria, this study reports findings regarding prevailing online health information-seeking behavior and the respective impact on doctor-patient interactions among a nonprobability convenience sample of Internet users. To investigate digital age group-specific influences, we analyzed whether digital natives and digital immigrants differed in their perspectives. The questionnaire-based online survey collected sociodemographic data and online health information-seeking behavior from a sample of 562 respondents (59% females, mean age 37 ± 15 years, 54% digital natives). Most respondents (79%) referred to the Internet to seek health information, making it the most commonly used source for health information, even more prevalent then the doctor. We found similar predictors for using the Internet as a source for health-related information across digital age groups. Thus, the overall generational gap seems to be small among regular Internet users in Austria. However, study participants expressed a rather skeptical attitude toward electronic exchange of health data between health care professionals and patients, as well as toward reliability of online health information. To improve adoption of electronic doctor-patient communication and patient empowerment, public education and awareness programs are required to promote consumer-centered health care provision and patient empowerment.
目前，无处不在的互联网接入通过创建一个复杂的全球信息网络，彻底改变了人们获取信息的方式。互联网的使用对医患关系的影响是一个动态的目标，在不同的社会人口阶层和国家之间有所不同。为了增加奥地利医患网三角关系的科学知识，本研究报告了关于普遍存在的在线健康信息搜索行为以及对非概率便利样本的互联网用户中医患互动的影响。为了研究数字时代特定的影响，我们分析了数字原住民和数字移民在观点上是否存在差异。这项基于问卷调查的在线调查从 562 名受访者（59%为女性，平均年龄 37±15 岁，54%为数字原住民）中收集了社会人口统计学数据和在线健康信息搜索行为。大多数受访者（79%）通过互联网寻求健康信息，这使其成为最常用的健康信息来源，甚至比医生更受欢迎。我们发现，在数字时代群体中，使用互联网作为健康相关信息来源的预测因素相似。因此，在奥地利的常规互联网用户中，整体代际差距似乎很小。然而，研究参与者对医疗保健专业人员和患者之间电子健康数据交换以及在线健康信息的可靠性表示出相当怀疑的态度。为了提高电子医患沟通和患者赋权的采用率，需要开展公共教育和宣传计划，以促进以消费者为中心的医疗服务提供和患者赋权。
