How does the regular use of health portals change the behavior of patients?-Results of a survey study

Background Health portals offer the opportunity to obtain detailed information about health and illness topics, to get further advice, or to follow links to specialized information portals. The high number of users in the online communities of the established health portals suggests that such portals meet widespread information and exchange needs.Objectives So far, there are almost no empirical findings on the extent to which the intensive use of such services influences the health-related behavior of patients. In the course of this study, regular users of large health portals were, among other things, asked about their motives and what changes in the doctor-patient relationship they have observed since their regular use.Materials and methods In 2022, a total of 936 users from 13 major health portals were interviewed anonymously using an online survey. An independent sample t-test was used to determine significant differences between two groups.Results Respondents place considerable trust in health portals. The results suggest that regular use has significant consequences for the doctor-patient relationship. Effects range from dealing with doctors in a more competent, reflective, and critical manner to changing doctors more frequently or even turning away from doctors. In addition, many respondents say that they often feel a lack of orientation and decision-making uncertainty after online research.Conclusion In the light of the results, new demands are placed on the doctor-patient relationship. Noncommercial health information portals should be further strengthened. Consideration should also be given to taking measures to improve the quality and transparency of health portals.