SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Hitit Medical Journal / 2026 / Cilt: 8 Sayı: 3

Effects of Online Health Information Seeking Behavior on the Patient–Physician Relationship

Çevrimiçi Sağlık Bilgisi Arama Davranışının Hasta-Hekim İlişkisine Etkileri

Merve Bulut Şahin(Çorum merkez toplum sağlığı merkezi)0009-0006-1631-2123
Pages
736–755
Publication Date
2026-10-14
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that the relationship between online health information-seeking behavior and the patient–physician relationship is associated with the reliability of health information, health and eHealth literacy, trust in physicians, patient-centered communication, and individual characteristics.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:With the widespread use of the Internet and digital technologies, online health information-seeking behavior has become an important factor associated with the patient–physician relationship.
📊
Key Findings & Data:English-language articles published between 2016 and 2026 were identified through a search of the PubMed database, and studies related to online health information-seeking behavior, the patient–physician relationship, health literacy, trust in physicians, and artificial intelligence were examined using a narrative review approach.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that the relationship between online health information-seeking behavior and the patient–physician relationship is associated with the reliability of health information, health and eHealth literacy, trust in physicians, patient-centered communication, and individual characteristics.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2016 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Çevrimiçi Sağlık Bilgisi · Hasta-Hekim İlişkisi · Sağlık Bilgisi Arama Davranışı

Abstract

With the widespread use of the Internet and digital technologies, online health information-seeking behavior has become an important factor associated with the patient–physician relationship. This review aimed to evaluate the relationship between online health information-seeking behavior and the patient–physician relationship in light of the current literature. English-language articles published between 2016 and 2026 were identified through a search of the PubMed database, and studies related to online health information-seeking behavior, the patient–physician relationship, health literacy, trust in physicians, and artificial intelligence were examined using a narrative review approach. The findings indicate that the relationship between online health information-seeking behavior and the patient–physician relationship is associated with the reliability of health information, health and eHealth literacy, trust in physicians, patient-centered communication, and individual characteristics. Reliable online health information has been associated with higher levels of patient engagement and shared decision-making, whereas inaccurate or misleading information has been associated with higher levels of health anxiety and problems related to trust and communication. Although artificial intelligence–supported applications may contribute to patient education, physician oversight is required for their safe use. Encouraging reliable sources of health information and supporting digital health literacy by healthcare professionals may contribute to strengthening a trust-based patient–physician relationship.

Özet

İnternet ve dijital teknolojilerin yaygınlaşmasıyla birlikte çevrimiçi sağlık bilgisi arama davranışı, hasta-hekim ilişkisiyle bağlantılı önemli bir unsur hâline gelmiştir. Bu derlemede, çevrimiçi sağlık bilgisi arama davranışı ile hasta-hekim ilişkisi arasındaki ilişkinin güncel literatür doğrultusunda değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. PubMed veri tabanında 2016–2026 yılları arasında yayımlanan İngilizce makaleler taranmış; çevrimiçi sağlık bilgisi arama davranışı, hasta-hekim ilişkisi, sağlık okuryazarlığı, hekime duyulan güven ve yapay zekâ ile ilişkili çalışmalar narratif derleme yaklaşımıyla incelenmiştir. Bulgular, çevrimiçi sağlık bilgisi arama davranışı ile hasta-hekim ilişkisi arasındaki ilişkinin bilginin güvenilirliği, sağlık ve e-sağlık okuryazarlığı, hekime duyulan güven, hasta merkezli iletişim ve bireysel özelliklerle bağlantılı olduğunu göstermektedir. Güvenilir çevrimiçi sağlık bilgileri daha yüksek hasta katılımı ve ortak karar alma düzeyleriyle ilişkiliyken, yanlış veya yanıltıcı bilgiler daha yüksek sağlık kaygısı ile güven ve iletişim sorunlarıyla ilişkili bulunmuştur. Yapay zekâ destekli uygulamalar hasta eğitimine katkı sağlayabilmekle birlikte güvenli kullanım için hekim denetimi gereklidir. Sağlık profesyonellerinin güvenilir bilgi kaynaklarını teşvik etmesi ve dijital sağlık okuryazarlığını desteklemesi, güvene dayalı hasta-hekim ilişkisinin güçlendirilmesine katkı sağlayabilir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Şahin, M. B. (2026). Effects of Online Health Information Seeking Behavior on the Patient–Physician Relationship. Hitit Medical Journal, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 3, 736–755. https://doi.org/10.52827/hititmedj.2000780

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (49)

  1. Langford AT, Roberts T, Gupta J, Orellana KT, Loeb S. Impact of the Internet on Patient-Physician Communication. Eur Urol Focus. 2020;6(3):440-444.
  2. Bussey LG, Sillence E. The role of internet resources in health decision-making: a qualitative study. Digit Health. 2019;5:2055207619888073.
  3. Chu JT, Wang MP, Shen C, Viswanath K, Lam TH, Chan SSC. How, When and Why People Seek Health Information Online: Qualitative Study in Hong Kong. Interact J Med Res. 2017;6(2):e24.
  4. Luo A, Qin L, Yuan Y, et al. The Effect of Online Health Information Seeking on Physician-Patient Relationships: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2022;24(2):e23354.
  5. Haluza D, Naszay M, Stockinger A, Jungwirth D. Digital Natives Versus Digital Immigrants: Influence of Online Health Information Seeking on the Doctor-Patient Relationship. Health Commun. 2017;32(11):1342-1349.
  6. Tan SSL, Goonawardene N. Internet Health Information Seeking and the Patient-Physician Relationship: A Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2017;19(1):e9.
  7. Xu Z, Jia J, Wu C. Associations and Pathways Between Online Health Information-Seeking Behavior and Patient Adherence: Cross-Sectional Study. J Med Internet Res. 2026;28:e91115.
  8. Zhang H, Zhang R, Lu X, Zhu X. Impact of Personal Trust Tendency on Patient Compliance Based on Internet Health Information Seeking. Telemed J E Health. 2020;26(3):294-303.
  9. Singh S, Banerjee A. Internet and doctor-patient relationship: Cross-sectional study of patients’ perceptions and practices. Indian J Public Health. 2019;63(3):215-219.
  10. Ghweeba M, Lindenmeyer A, Shishi S, Waheed A, Kofi M, Amer S. The Attitudes of Egyptian Web-Based Health Information Seekers Toward Health Information Provided Through the Internet: Qualitative Study. JMIR Form Res. 2022;6(2):e30108.
  11. Wang Q, Tao C, Yuan Y, Zhang S, Liang J. Current Situations and Challenges in the Development of Health Information Literacy. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(3):2706.
  12. Magsamen-Conrad K, Dillon JM, Billotte Verhoff C, Faulkner SL. Online Health-Information Seeking Among Older Populations: Family Influences and the Role of the Medical Professional. Health Commun. 2019;34(8):859-871.
  13. Peimani M, Stewart AL, Ghodssi-Ghassemabadi R, Nasli-Esfahani E, Ostovar A. The moderating role of e-health literacy and patient-physician communication in the relationship between online diabetes information-seeking behavior and self-care practices among individuals with type 2 diabetes. BMC Prim Care. 2024;25(1):442.
  14. Vismara M, Caricasole V, Starcevic V, et al. Is cyberchondria a new transdiagnostic digital compulsive syndrome? A systematic review of the evidence. Compr Psychiatry. 2020;99:152167.
  15. Zhu B, Zheng H, Xiao Q, Deng Y. When Baidu meets the clinic: exploring how cyberchondria shapes patient satisfaction through trust in doctors and patient commitment. Health Educ Res. 2026;41(1):cyaf065.
  16. Paller J, Haugen AS, Großschädl F. eHealth literacy in emergency care: a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2026;26:984.
  17. Tanis M, Hartmann T, Te Poel F. Online health anxiety and consultation satisfaction: A quantitative exploratory study on their relations. Patient Educ Couns. 2016;99(7):1227-1232.
  18. de Looper M, van Weert JCM, Schouten BC, et al. The Influence of Online Health Information Seeking Before a Consultation on Anxiety, Satisfaction, and Information Recall, Mediated by Patient Participation: Field Study. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(7):e23670.
  19. Graffigna G, Barello S, Bonanomi A, Riva G. Factors affecting patients’ online health information-seeking behaviours: The role of the Patient Health Engagement (PHE) Model. Patient Educ Couns. 2017;100(10):1918-1927.
  20. Sood N, Jimenez DE, Pham TB, Cordrey K, Awadalla N, Milanaik R. Paging Dr. Google: The Effect of Online Health Information on Trust in Pediatricians’ Diagnoses. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2019;58(8):889-896.
  21. Lee SY, Choi J, Noh GY. Factors Influencing Health-Related Internet Activities and Their Outcomes. J Health Commun. 2016;21(11):1179-1186.
  22. Song M, Elson J, Haas C, Obasi SN, Sun X, Bastola D. The Effects of Patients’ Health Information Behaviors on Shared Decision-Making: Evaluating the Role of Patients’ Trust in Physicians. Healthcare (Basel). 2025;13(11):1238.
  23. Dong W, Lei X, Liu Y. The Mediating Role of Patients’ Trust Between Web-Based Health Information Seeking and Patients’ Uncertainty in China: Cross-sectional Web-Based Survey. J Med Internet Res. 2022;24(3):e25275.
  24. Sun Y, Yu J, Chiu YL, Hsu YT. Can online health information sources really improve patient satisfaction? Front Public Health. 2022;10:940800.
  25. Smith C, Rebbeor S, Gilkey MB, et al. Clinician Recommendations for Discussing Online Health Information With Adolescents: A Qualitative Study. J Prim Care Community Health. 2026;17:21501319261437319.
  26. Waring ME, McManus DD, Amante DJ, Darling CE, Kiefe CI. Online health information seeking by adults hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes: Who looks for information, and who discusses it with healthcare providers? Patient Educ Couns. 2018;101(11):1973-1981.
  27. Stevenson FA, Seguin M, Leydon-Hudson G, et al. Combining patient talk about internet use during primary care consultations with retrospective accounts. A qualitative analysis of interactional and interview data. Soc Sci Med. 2021;272:113703.
  28. Lu Q, Jiao W, Chang A, Schulz PJ. Seeking But Not Discussing Online Health Information With Physicians: Cross-Sectional Survey Study of eHealth Literacy-Empowerment Profiles and Patient-Centered Communication. J Med Internet Res. 2026;28:e78836.
  29. Lu Q, Schulz PJ. Physician Perspectives on Internet-Informed Patients: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2024;26:e47620.
  30. de Arruda RM, Ayoub IA, Nunes R, de Azevedo Neto RS, Nunes M do PT. Consulting “Dr. Google”: how the digital search for internet health information influences doctor-patient relationship. Cad Saude Publica. 2025;41(7):e00153623.
  31. Wernhart A, Gahbauer S, Haluza D. eHealth and telemedicine: Practices and beliefs among healthcare professionals and medical students at a medical university. PLoS One. 2019;14(2):e0213067.
  32. Mota LRA da, Ferreira CCG, Costa Neto HAA da, Falbo AR, Lorena S de B. Is doctor-patient relationship influenced by health online information? Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2018;64(8):692-699.
  33. Armbruster J, Bussmann F, Rothhaas C, Titze N, Grützner PA, Freischmidt H. “Doctor ChatGPT, Can You Help Me?” The Patient’s Perspective: Cross-Sectional Study. J Med Internet Res. 2024;26:e58831.
  34. Clay TJ, Da Custodia Steel ZJ, Jacobs C. Human-Computer Interaction: A Literature Review of Artificial Intelligence and Communication in Healthcare. Cureus. 2024;16(11):e73763.
  35. Nastasi AJ, Courtright KR, Halpern SD, Weissman GE. A vignette-based evaluation of ChatGPT’s ability to provide appropriate and equitable medical advice across care contexts. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):17885.
  36. Zhao YC, Zhao M, Song S. Online Health Information Seeking Among Patients With Chronic Conditions: Integrating the Health Belief Model and Social Support Theory. J Med Internet Res. 2022;24(11):e42447.
  37. Huisman M, Joye S, Biltereyst D. Searching for Health: Doctor Google and the Shifting Dynamics of the Middle-Aged and Older Adult Patient-Physician Relationship and Interaction. J Aging Health. 2020;32(9):998-1007.
  38. Jiang S, Street RL. Factors Influencing Communication with Doctors via the Internet: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2014 HINTS Survey. Health Commun. 2017;32(2):180-188.
  39. Peng Y, Yin P, Deng Z, Wang R. Patient-Physician Interaction and Trust in Online Health Community: The Role of Perceived Usefulness of Health Information and Services. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;17(1):139.
  40. Li J, Street RL. What Encourages Patients to Recommend Their Doctor After an Online Medical Consultation? The Influence of Patient-Centered Communication, Trust, and Negative Health Information Seeking Experiences. Health Commun. 2025;40(6):992-1003.
  41. Cocco AM, Zordan R, Taylor DM, et al. Dr Google in the ED: searching for online health information by adult emergency department patients. Med J Aust. 2018;209(8):342-347.
  42. Traylor DO, Kern KV, Anderson EE, Henderson R. Beyond the Screen: The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Patient Learning and the Patient-Physician Relationship. Cureus. 2025;17(1):e76825.
  43. Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health. Accessed August 25, 2026. [https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240029200](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240029200)
  44. Shirokov A. “I read a bit of information”: Epistemic markers as a resource for enacting patients’ agency. Soc Sci Med. 2025;386:118639.
  45. Linn AJ, van Weert JCM, Bylund CL. Are They Important? Patients’ Communication Barriers to Discussing Online Health Information During Consultations. Health Commun. 2024;39(5):945-950.
  46. Henkel T, Zeidler C, Linn AJ, van Weert JCM, Smets EMA, Hillen MA. How does oncologists’ communication affect patients’ well-being and online health information seeking? - A randomized experiment. Patient Educ Couns. 2025;141:109352.
  47. Murphy M, Nanadiego FA, McCavera L, Nichols C, Kalekas P, Wachs D. Assessing the Validity and Accuracy of Online Videos on Vaccine Health Risks. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2020;59(4-5):458-466.
  48. Bylund CL, Taylor G, Vasquez TS, et al. Talking with clinicians about online cancer information: a survey of cancer patients and surrogate information seekers. Support Care Cancer. 2024;32(6):362.
  49. Mainous AG, Liu-Galvin R, Durden B, Yin L, Saguil AA. Patient trust in the health system, Internet information searching and the patient-provider relationship. Front Med (Lausanne). 2025;12:1665927.