Evaluation of Healthcare Avoidance Behavior Using the Healthcare National Trends Survey

As online search engines have become increasingly popular for people to use to locate necessary health information, the number of individuals choosing to avoid visiting a doctor is dramatically increasing. This study analyzed 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data and found that people who avoid visiting a doctor were more likely to be male, younger, and less educated than those who do not avoid seeing a doctor. Also, individuals who have less health insurance coverage, have serious psychological distress (SPD), and suffered cancer information overload were more likely to report psychosocial barriers to care. Furthermore, the levels of trust of doctors and visiting a social networking site were significant predictors of “doctor avoidance.” In addition, individuals who felt their personal health information was not being safely guarded by doctors were more likely to avoid visiting a doctor. These findings can help healthcare professionals better understand the characteristics of persons who avoid visiting a doctor and professionals can use these conclusions to provide more effective ways to deliver health information to change healthcare behavior.