Web and/or MD?: Empirically testing the relationships between internet use and visits to healthcare professionals

Abstract

The proliferation of the internet as a widely accessible repository of health information has sparked theoretical and empirical concerns about its potential use as a replacement for traditional healthcare services. Existing research highlights how use of the internet as a health information resource has influenced individuals' experiences in healthcare settings, but has not yet explored its relationship with use of healthcare services. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, I find a significant positive association between use of the internet to seek health information and visits to traditional healthcare providers. This association is not explained by factors related to respondents' social and demographic characteristics, health status, or access to health services. This relationship is strongest among adults aged 18–39, suggesting that younger adults may be more inclined than their older counterparts to address health concerns using both the internet and traditional medical services. In line with Fundamental Cause Theory, the relationship is strongest among the highly educated, such that individuals with a Bachelor's degree are more likely than their peers to use both the internet and traditional healthcare services as health resources. This study provides evidence in favor of the hypothesis that U.S. adults – and especially young adults with college degrees – are largely using the internet as a complement to the information and services provided by traditional medical providers, rather than a replacement.