Consumer Use of the Internet for Health Management

ABSTRACT

Although health information search might be the most common motive that consumers have for using the Internet for healthcare, they also use the Internet for other purposes such as healthcare management. To date, most research on consumer use of the Internet for healthcare has focused on consumers’ search for health information, while focusing less on other activities of consumers on the Internet. The purpose of this study was to examine how Internet-related characteristics (Internet experience and trust in the Internet) and individual-related traits (confidence in self healthcare and general health status) were associated with consumers’ use of the Internet for different purposes, such as healthcare management. Using a subsample of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4 Cycle 3 data, ordered probit regressions were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results of the study further suggest useful implications for public health policy makers, marketers, and healthcare businesses in terms of factors to consider in the successful implementation of healthcare promotion and management in the computer-mediated environment of the Internet.

KEYWORDS:

• Health information
• online interaction for healthcare
• self-healthcare
• uses and gratifications theory

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yun Jung Lee

Yun Jung Lee (PhD, Purdue University) is an Assistant Professor of Marketing ([email protected]) in the Willumstad School of Business at Adelphi University.

Sejin Ha

Sejin Ha, PhD ([email protected]) is Associate Professor at the Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.