Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2025

E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Communicating about online health information with patients: Exploring determinants among telemental health providers
Samantha R Paige1, Carma L Bylund2, Hattie Wilczewski1
1Doxy.me Research, Doxy.me Inc., Rochester, NY, USA.
Objective:
To investigate determinants of telemental health (TMH) providers' openness to discuss and confidence to use online mental health information with patients, focusing on providers' eHealth literacy and perceived usefulness of online MH information.
Methods:
TMH providers (N = 472) completed a web-based survey with questions about discussing and using online health information with patients, perceived usefulness of the Internet as a source of patient information, and eHealth literacy.
Results:
Providers were open to discussing online health information with patients if they were not treating substance abuse disorders (b = -0.83), felt the Internet was a useful resource (b = 0.18), and felt confident in their skills to evaluate the online information (b = 0.21). Providers were confident using online health information if they worked in a small clinic (b = 0.37), felt the Internet was a useful resource (b = 0.31), knew where to access relevant online health information (b = 0.13), and had skills to help their patients find (b = 0.17) and evaluate (b = 0.54) online information.
Conclusion:
TMH providers are likely to use online health information resources if they know where and how to find them and perceive the Internet as a useful resource.
Innovation:
To effectively discuss online health information with patients, providers require skills to evaluate the information with patients.
Related Concept Videos
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Current Trends in Nursing II
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
Communication
Health Literacy

