Factors influencing online health information search: An empirical analysis of a national cancer-related survey

Authors:
Nan Xiao;Raj Sharman;H. R. Rao;Shambhu Upadhyaya
Affiliations:
Computer Information Systems & Quantitative Methods, The University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX, USA;Management Science and Systems, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA;Management Science and Systems, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA and Global Service Management, Sogang Univeristy, Seoul, Republic of Korea;Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
Venue:
Decision Support Systems
Year:
2014

Citing 17
Cited 0

Building Effective Online Marketplaces with Institution-Based Trust

Information Systems Research
On the Depth and Dynamics of Online Search Behavior

Management Science
Information foraging on the web: the effects of "acceptable" internet delays on multi-page information search behavior

Decision Support Systems
Online Consumer Search Depth: Theories and New Findings

Journal of Management Information Systems
A trust-based consumer decision-making model in electronic commerce: The role of trust, perceived risk, and their antecedents

Decision Support Systems
Information Foraging Theory: Adaptive Interaction with Information

Information Foraging Theory: Adaptive Interaction with Information
Marketspace or Marketplace? Online Information Search and Channel Outcomes in Auto Retailing

Information Systems Research
Brand extension of online technology products: Evidence from search engine to virtual communities and online news

Decision Support Systems
Research Commentary---The Digital Transformation of Healthcare: Current Status and the Road Ahead

Information Systems Research
Conceptualizing and Testing a Social Cognitive Model of the Digital Divide

Information Systems Research
Addressing Digital Inequality for the Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Through Government Initiatives: Forms of Capital That Affect ICT Utilization

Information Systems Research
Trust and TAM in online shopping: an integrated model

MIS Quarterly
Understanding and predicting electronic commerce adoption: an extension of the theory of planned behavior

MIS Quarterly
Understanding digital inequality: comparing continued use behavioral models of the socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged

MIS Quarterly
The relative advantage of electronic channels: a multidimensional view

MIS Quarterly
An exploration of risk information search via a search engine: Queries and clicks in healthcare and information security

Decision Support Systems
Using online search data to forecast new product sales

Decision Support Systems

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

People are increasingly using the Internet to access health information and the information obtained has an impact on their healthcare outcomes. This paper examines the impacts of IT enablers and health motivators on peoples' online health information search behavior. We characterize users' online health information search behavior along three dimensions: the frequency of online health information search, the diversity of online health information usage, and the preference of the Internet for initial search. Using the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data on cancer, we find that ease of access to Internet services and trust in online health information could affect the three dimensional search behavior listed above. While perceived quality of communication with doctors has an impact on diversity of use and preference of use, we surprisingly do not find an impact on the frequency of search for online health information. In addition, our results find that perceived health status could affect both frequency and diversity of search for online health information. But we do not find evidence that perceived health status could lead to a preference for using the Internet as a source for health information.