Physicians' motives for professional internet use and differences in attitudes toward the internet-informed patient, physician-patient communication, and prescribing behavior.

Background: Physicians have differing motives for using the Internet and Internet-related services in their professional work. These motives may affect their evaluation of patients who bring with them health-related information from the Internet. Differing motives may also affect physician-patient communication and subsequent prescribing behavior.

Objectives: to segment physicians into types based on their motives for using the internet in connection with professional activities and to analyze how those segments differ in their attitudes in three areas: toward patients who bring along Internet-sourced information; in their own subsequent prescribing behavior; and in their attitudes toward using the Internet to communicate with patients in future.

Methods: We surveyed 287 German physicians online from three medical fields. To assess physicians' motives for using the Internet for their professional activities, we asked them to rate their level of agreement with statements on a 7-point scale. Motive statements were reduced to motive dimensions using principal component analysis, and 2-step cluster analysis based on motive dimensions identified different segments of physicians. Several statements assessed agreement or disagreement on a 7-point scale physicians' attitudes toward patients' bringing Internet information to the consultation and their own subsequent prescribing behavior. Further, we asked physicians to indicate on a 7-point scale their valuation of the Internet for physician-patient communication in the future. Data were then subjected to variance and contingency analyses.

Results: we identified three motive dimensions for internet use: (1) being on the cutting edge and for self-expression (Cronbach alpha = .88), (2) efficiency and effectiveness (alpha = .79), and (3) diversity and convenience (alpha = .71). These three factors accounted for 71.4% of the variance. Based on physicians' motives for using the Internet, four types of physician Internet user were identified: (1) the Internet Advocate (2), Efficiency-Oriented, (3) Internet Critic, and (4) Driven Self-expressionist. Groups differed significantly concerning (1) their attitude toward informed patients in general (F 1234 = 9.215, P < .001), (2) perceived improvement in the physician-patient relationship Internet information brings (F 1234 = 5.386, P < .001), (3) perceived accuracy of information the patient brings (F 1234 = 3.658, P = .01), and (4) perceived amount of time needed to devote to an Internet-informed patient (F 1234 = 3.356, P = .02). Physician segments did not differ significantly in reported prescribing behavior (F 1234 = 1.910, P = .13). However, attitudes toward using the Internet to communicate with patients in future differed significantly (F 1234 = 23.242, P < .001).

Conclusions: Based on self-reporting by German physicians of their motives for professional Internet use, we identified four types of Internet users who differ significantly in their attitude toward patients who bring along Internet information and their attitudes toward using the Internet to communicate with patients in future.