Web Searching for Health: Theoretical Foundations for Analyzing Problematic Search Engine Use

摘要

Increasingly, consumers are searching online for health information. This rise in Web searching for health calls for a theoretical approach that explains the problems associated with consumers' use of search engines for health information retrieval. In this context, this paper provides an exploratory framework for understanding problematic search engine use in the context of online health information retrieval. It extends Caplan's (2005) theoretical framework of problematic Internet use by integrating users' cognitive shift in the search process. The framework highlights the cognitive, behavioural and affective symptoms leading to negative outcomes of improper search engine use. Finally, the paper discusses implications of adopting the framework for understanding consumers' search behaviour in health information retrieval.