Health information in the digital age: an empirical study of the perceived benefits and costs of seeking and using health information from online sources

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to explore the determinants of the online health information seeking (OHIS) and usage (OHIU) behaviours of consumers based on the perceived benefits and costs of such activities. METHODS: This study applies questionnaires and empirical research methods. A questionnaire is designed according to the hypothesis model. A total of 282 questionnaires are obtained from patients and their accompanying families in two large hospitals, and the SPSS 17.0 and AMOS 17.0 (IBM, Almond, NY, USA) software are used to analyse the sample data and to test the research models. RESULTS: Three key findings are obtained from the analysis. Firstly, functional, learning, social and personal integrative benefits positively affect the OHIS intent of consumers. Secondly, cognitive costs negatively influence the OHIU behaviour of consumers. Thirdly, personal integrative benefits and OHIS behaviour significantly influence the OHIU behaviour of consumers. CONCLUSION: This paper highlights the differences between OHIS and OHIU based on their impact factors and applies social exchange theory to understand such factors. Online health information providers must improve the ease of use of their websites or applications, enhance the quality of their health information and focus on their functionality.