Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38907348›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2024

The association between internet use and the choice of medical institution among Chinese older adults.

Liuying Wang, Zirong Cheng, Li Ye, Lijuan Rong, Ching-Wen Chien, Tao-Hsin Tung

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Liuying Wang *Institute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Zirong Cheng *Institute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Li YeInstitute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Lijuan RongInstitute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
Ching-Wen ChienInstitute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen Campus, Shenzhen, 518055, China. ihhca@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn.
Tao-Hsin TungEvidence-based Medicine Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, 317000, China. ch2876@yeah.net.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAs older people have complex medical needs and still encounter challenges in accessing online health information, the relationship between Internet use and the choice of medical institution made by them is unclear, and we aimed to examine this relationship.

methodsData from the newly released 2020 China Family Panel Survey database were used. Furthermore, we used descriptive statistics to analyze the background characteristics of the sample and a logistic regression model to estimate the impact of Internet use on the choice of medical institution made by older adults. We conducted a stratified analysis to explore the influence of different characteristics on the relationship between Internet use and the choice of medical institution.

resultsTotally 4,948 older adults were included. Multivariate logistic regression showed that, compared to non-Internet users, Internet users were less likely to choose community health service centers over general hospitals (P < 0.001, OR = 0.667, 95CI%: 0.558-0.797). The subgroup analyses found that Internet use only had an impact on the choice of medical institution in older adults aged 65-69 years, those with partners, those with primary or secondary education, those residing in urban areas, those without medical insurance, those with a self-rated health status as average or healthy, those with unchanged or better health trend, and those without chronic disease. The effect of Internet use on the choice of medical institution did not differ by sex, satisfaction, or trust in doctors.

conclusionInternet use may significantly affect older adults' tendency to choose general hospitals to meet their daily medical needs. The subgroup analyses indicated that different characteristics of older people affected this association.

Indexed as

Choice BehaviorInternet UseAgedAged, 80 and overChinaEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansInternetMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesHealth care provider choiceHierarchical medical policyInternetOlder adults

Identifiers

PMID38907348
PMCPMC11191152

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.