title: Factors Influencing Communication with Doctors via the Internet: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2014 HINTS Survey.
abstract: Based on Street's (2003) ecological framework of communication in medical encounters, this study examined personal, interpersonal, and media factors that could influence patients' use of the Internet to communicate with doctors. Results from data analysis of responses from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey showed that patient activation and ease of Internet access were two positive predictors of online doctor-patient communication. In addition, patients' trust in doctors positively moderated the relationships between patient activation and online doctor-patient communication, and between perceived health status and online doctor-patient communication. Finally, the quality of patients' past experiences communicating with doctors had a positive moderation effect on the association between health information seeking behavior and online doctor-patient communication. Implications and limitations are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication , Texas A&M University.
authors.forename: Shaohai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication , Texas A&M University.|b Department of Medicine , Baylor College of Medicine.|c Houston Center for Innovation in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety , Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Street
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003142:Communication; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D035502:Trust