The Impact of Internet Health Information on Patient Compliance: The Role of Perceived Information Asymmetry

In recent years, patients have been increasingly seeking and using Internet Health Information (IHI) to become more active in managing their own health in a partnership with their physicians. This trend has both positive and negative effects on the interactions and trust between the patient and physician. This study will examine the impact of patients’ use of IHI on various elements that characterize the interactions between a patient and her/his physician through the lens of Principal-Agent Theory. Specifically information asymmetry between the patient and physician and its relationships with the patient’s trust in and use of IHI, the patient’s trust in their physician and his/her compliance with the physician’s advice is examined. We outline a survey-based study to empirically validate the proposed theoretical model using structural equation modeling techniques.