Understanding the consistent use of internet health information

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse whether internet experience, process quality, outcome quality, customer satisfaction, and post‐use expectations affect the consistent use of health information online by Chinese internet users and how these factors are related to one another.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 219 Chinese university students who are currently using, or have used, the health information services available on the internet. Tertiary students were selected because they are active internet users who frequently use the internet to search for information.FindingsInternet experience affects process quality, but it has no direct relation to outcome quality or customer satisfaction. Process quality determines customer satisfaction toward health information available on the internet and influences the outcome quality; however, the outcome quality is not related to customer satisfaction. The decision to reuse health information found on the internet is influenced by both customer satisfaction and post‐use expectations. The customers' post‐use expectations are primarily influenced by customer satisfaction.Practical implicationsFor a successful internet business, internet marketers should recognise that service quality includes both process quality and outcome quality and plan new campaigns that take this factor into consideration. Tracking post‐use expectations can help predict, with reasonable accuracy, the relationship between customer satisfaction and retention of health information found on the internet.Originality/valueThis study provides a better understanding about the users of health information found on the internet in China by taking into account the above‐mentioned factors: internet experience, post‐use expectation, process quality, and outcome quality.

Impact of Personal Trust Tendency on Patient Compliance Based on Internet Health Information Seeking

“…27 Different from the quality of health information, this factor highlights patients' processing and perception of the information and it can be affected by the quality of the information seeking process. 36 To be specific, individuals with different cognitions may have different extents of satisfaction with the same information. Satisfaction with internet health information can influence an individual's decision of reusing internet health information.…”

“…Satisfaction with internet health information can influence an individual's decision of reusing internet health information. 36 For instance, online health information seekers tend to use Wikipedia because it provides easy-to-use information, especially for categories that are difficult to understand. 23 In addition, satisfaction with internet health information has also been suggested to be an important indicator in achieving positive health-related outcomes.…”

“…The quality of the information seeking process has been found to have influences on individuals' satisfaction with health information and quality of health outcomes. 36 According to the information processing theory, when collecting information, not all of the information received is relevant to the needs and motivation of the receiver; thus, the information is filtered, and only the part that catches the receiver's attention is retained. 41 Therefore, patients with emerging and conservative internet health information seeking may filter the information in different ways and thus obtain and process the part of information that meets their own needs.…”

Quality of online information about sexually transmitted diseases

“…Use of the internet to obtain health information is increasing throughout the world, and accessing sexual health information online has become quite common over the last decade (Kim, 2010;Trotter and Morgan, 2008;Ross et al, 2000). However, the information provided is not regulated in terms of quality and accuracy, and patients accessing poor or even wrong information may run the risk of an incorrect self-diagnosis, possibly delaying the appropriate treatment, and exacerbating their illness (Quinn et al, 2012;Stefan et al, 2013;Peters et al, 2013).…”

Do personalisation and emotions affect the use of cancer-related websites?

“…Following similar online health information studies (Kim, 2010, Mu et al, 2010, convenience sampling was employed, combined with purposive sampling. Such sampling is used when employing probability methods is difficult, due to inaccessibility, unwillingness or inability of the target population to participate; barriers existing for this study.…”