Impact of patient-provider communication on online healthinformation behaviors in chronic illness

摘要

This manuscript analyzes the role that patient-providerrncommunication has in shaping online health informationrnseeking in patients diagnosed with chronic kidney diseasern[CKD]. Data were collected and analyzed over two yearsrnusing grounded theory methods; the findings presented inrnthis manuscript are a subset of the results from this largerrnstudy. Twelve participants, all diagnosed with CKD, wererneach interviewed twice for a total of 24 interviews; thernposts they made to three different online support groupsrnwere also harvested. Data were analyzed using the constantrncomparative method until theoretical saturation wasrnreached. There are multiple factors related to patientproviderrncommunication that influence online healthrninformation seeking, including dismissive responses fromrnproviders, the type of information need, time pressure,rninformation overload, the healthcare system, and the desirernto verify or crosscheck information by consulting multiplernsources. These results highlight the importance of effectiverncommunication between people diagnosed with CKD andrntheir healthcare providers, as these interactions impactrnonline health information behavior. In particular, providersrnshould foster an open attitude towards online healthrninformation seeking; they should also encourage patients tornverify information found online.