THE INFLUENCE OF USING THE INTERNET FOR HEALTH-RELATED INFORMATION ON THE PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP AND COMMUNICATION: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS ON GERMAN OLDER ADULTS OVER 65 YEARS
THE INFLUENCE OF USING THE INTERNET FOR HEALTH-RELATED INFORMATION ON THE PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP AND COMMUNICATION: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS ON GERMAN OLDER ADULTS OVER 65 YEARS

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents an exploratory qualitative analysis on health-related internet use by older adults aged over 65 years, a case study consisting of ten in-depth interviews of seniors in Germany. The research focuses on the influence of using the internet for health-related information on the communication between seniors and doctors and on the physician-patient relationship. According to the findings of the research, while in the quantity of communication between older persons and the doctors no significant influence could be assessed, in the quality and the content of the face-to-face/ real communication some changes, as consequences of online informing, could be delimited. Mostly these changes are determined by the fact that seniors are pre-informed before medical visits and thus have additional topics to discuss with doctors. Moreover, the pattern of the physician-patient relationship is affected by the internet consumption. In a medical system, as the German one is, in which the model of the relationship between doctors and patients is predominantly informative and deliberative, and not paternalistic, patients have now, additionally, with the development and use of the internet, the opportunity to search for information and opinions not only medical, scientific, but also about doctors and clinics, as well as the possibility to provide feedback and ratings. These facts place patients now in a position of power in relation to doctors, given that the online ratings, scores and reviews can influence the subsequent inflow of patients of a physician, medical office or clinic.

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