Web and/or MD?: Empirically testing the relationships between internet use and visits to healthcare professionals

The proliferation of the internet as a widely accessible repository of health information has sparked theoretical and empirical concerns about its potential use as a replacement for traditional healthcare services. Existing research highlights how use of the internet as a health information resource...

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Vydané v:Social science & medicine (1982) Ročník 376; s. 118071
Hlavný autor: Ryan-Claytor, Cayley
Médium: Journal Article
Jazyk:English
Vydavateľské údaje: England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2025
Predmet:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Female
Health information
Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data
Health services
Healthcare
Humans
Information Seeking Behavior
Internet
Internet - statistics & numerical data
Internet Use - statistics & numerical data
Male
Middle Aged
Online
United States
Young Adult
United States
Healthcare
Internet
Online
Health services
Health information
ISSN:0277-9536, 1873-5347, 1873-5347
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Shrnutí:The proliferation of the internet as a widely accessible repository of health information has sparked theoretical and empirical concerns about its potential use as a replacement for traditional healthcare services. Existing research highlights how use of the internet as a health information resource has influenced individuals' experiences in healthcare settings, but has not yet explored its relationship with use of healthcare services. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, I find a significant positive association between use of the internet to seek health information and visits to traditional healthcare providers. This association is not explained by factors related to respondents' social and demographic characteristics, health status, or access to health services. This relationship is strongest among adults aged 18–39, suggesting that younger adults may be more inclined than their older counterparts to address health concerns using both the internet and traditional medical services. In line with Fundamental Cause Theory, the relationship is strongest among the highly educated, such that individuals with a Bachelor's degree are more likely than their peers to use both the internet and traditional healthcare services as health resources. This study provides evidence in favor of the hypothesis that U.S. adults – and especially young adults with college degrees – are largely using the internet as a complement to the information and services provided by traditional medical providers, rather than a replacement. •The internet has become a widely accessible resource for health information.•Internet use is associated with greater use of healthcare services.•The association is strongest among young adults, the college-educated, and daily Internet users.•Americans are using the internet as a supplement, not replacement to traditional health services.
Bibliografia:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118071