The internet provides a major source of exchanging health information through online portals and new media. Internet users can access health site sand online forums to obtain health information. In turn, these information sources act as a catalyst for well being and improving personal health care behaviors and routines. Competent health institutions encourage the development of these individual behaviors that enable individuals to increase health empowerment and to take responsibility for their own health needs, diagnosis and treatment.
Online Health Forums and Services: Benefits, Risks and Perspectives is an investigation of the use of online health forums and services. The author first introduces the reader to the theories that define online social behaviors in terms of health care services. The chapters following this introduction attempt to account for the variation sin online health care portal use and to what extent does social networking induce variations in health behaviors grounded in theory.
A summary of media used for affecting health behavior change is also provided along with a discussion of the socioeconomic attributes of the individuals most likely to be affected in terms of their health behaviors. The book provides a comprehensive perspective that links the aspects of the micro-level use of the Internet for health purposes (accessing health related websites, participation in health forums and networking sites) to the macro level practices of tele-medicine.
Readers will be able to understand the social and health characteristics of the different groups of patients and estimate the extent to which individuals in need of health and medical information are taking advantage of the availability of information and communication platforms to improve their health, or if they are being left behind.This is a timely reference for healthcare professionals, researchers and consultants involved in digital health care initiatives and public health administration who are seeking information about how access to online health information can influence lifestyles in a way that impacts human behavior in a positive, meaningful way.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Theories
- Sociological Theories of Health and Technology
- Media Theories of Technology Adoption
- Behavioral Models of Online Health Uses
- Health Belief Model
- Health Empowerment Model
- The Health Attainment Process
- Health Attitudes
- Health Behavior
- Health Changes
- Ecological Models
Chapter 2 Online Health Information Search and E-patients
- Individual Level Effects
- Institutional Level Effects
- Online Health Services
- Trust
Chapter 3 Social Media and Social Networks for Health Purposes
- Socioeconomic Variations in Use of Social Media
- Age Effects
- Gender Effects
- Health Status
Chapter 4 Mobile Health Applications
- Evaluations of Mobile Health Applications
- Monitoring Versus Evaluation
- Commercial Health Applications
Chapter 5 Health Systems
- Micro-Level Outcomes of Health Assessment
- Imacro-Level Performance Criteria for Health Impact Assessment
- Institutional Use of Social Media
Chapter 6 The COVID-19 Pandemic and Digital Divides
- The Normalization Hypothesis
- The Social Diversification Hypothesis
- First Level Digital Divide Effects
- Age
- Health Status
- Gender
- Education
- Second-Level Digital Divide
- Technology Skills
- Third Level Digital Divide Effects
- International Comparisons
Chapter 7 The Case of COVID-19 and Digital Divides
- Positive Effects on Resilience
- Negative Effects on Resilience
- Social Media Variations Effects on Resilience
Chapter 8 Discussion
Chapter 9 Conclusions
References
Subject Index
Author
- Rita Mano
