ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2022
Laypeople's Online Health Information Search Strategies and Use for Health-Related Problems: Cross-sectional Survey.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Evaluating the quality and readability of AI-generated information on adenomyosis: a comparative analysis of ChatGPT and deepseek regarding query-model consistency.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Does the Quality and Readability of Information Related to Varicocele Obtained from ChatGPT 4.0 Remain Consistent Across Different Models of Inquiry?The world journal of men's health · 2026Article
- Mechanism for credibility assessment of online health information by medical students in the digital-intelligent age-a grounded theory study in China.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Internet use for health information, health service utilization, and quality of care in the U.S.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Digital Information Exchange Between the Public and Researchers in Health Studies: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- A grounded theory study on medical students' proxy online health information seeking behavior.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Good Arts, Good Mental HealthFrontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Mapping the Cardiometabolic Patient Experience and Self-Care Behaviors to Inform Design, Implementation, and Persistent Use of Digital Health Care Solutions: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWith the increase in the use of the internet to search for health information about health-related problems, there is a need for health care professionals to better understand how their patients search for and use the online health information that may influence their medical decision making.
objectiveThe aims of this study are to explore laypeople's online health information search strategies and examine the relationships between their search strategies and utilization behavior of online health information.
methodsTwo scales, namely match and elaboration, were used to measure patients' basic search strategies (ie, simple approach) and advanced search strategies (ie, integrative approach), respectively. In addition, the consultation scale was used to evaluate the participants' use of online health information to consult doctors and others. A total of 253 outpatients without university education were purposely selected and surveyed. The participants were outpatients at a university-affiliated teaching hospital. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to analyze the measurement model to specify the measurement validation. In addition, the structure model of PLS-SEM was evaluated to examine the path correlations between variables and to execute interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses.
resultsThe results of the path correlation analysis by PLS-SEM showed that both elaboration strategy (path coefficient=0.55, P<.001) and match strategy (path coefficient=0.36, P<.001) were positively correlated with consultation on online health information with doctors and others. In addition, interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses indicated that there was a significant interaction effect between elaboration and match on consultation (path coefficient=-0.34, P<.001) and a significant curvilinear relationship between match and consultation (path coefficient=-0.09, P=.046).
conclusionsIncreasing patients' exposure to online health information through both a simple search approach (ie, match strategy) and a complex search approach (ie, elaboration strategy) may lead them to appropriately use the information to consult doctors and others. However, the results of interaction effect and curvilinear relationship analyses highlighted the essential role of the elaboration strategy to properly locate, evaluate, and apply online health information. The findings of this study may help health care professionals better understand how to communicate with their patients through the health information on the internet.
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