A Q analysis of Indiana physician attitudes toward the use of the Internet
Nationally, physicians have been slow to adapt to the use of the Internet as a tool of communication for the business of medicine. To understand the reasons for this and to determine if physicians in Indiana follow this national trend, a Q analysis was used to measure their attitudes toward the Inte...
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| Format: | Others |
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2011
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| Online Access: | http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/187039 http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1222831 |
| Summary: | Nationally, physicians have been slow to adapt to the use of the Internet as a tool of communication for the business of medicine. To understand the reasons for this and to determine if physicians in Indiana follow this national trend, a Q analysis was used to measure their attitudes toward the Internet. Q analysis allowed the researcher to quantify subjectivity.This study focused on physicians who are members of the Indiana State Medical Association, an organization representing nearly 8,000 of the state's doctors. Physicians were of different race, sex, age, specialty and geographic location as to be representative of Indiana physicians.For this study, twenty-eight physicians ranked a series of forty-eight statements along a bipolar continuum called a Q sort. Each subject was asked to rate the forty-eight statements on a nine-point most agree (+4) and least agreed (-4) scale.Analysis of the twenty-eight Q sorts collected for this study provided three factor types. Those who comprised Factor I were labeled the "Futurists." The view that emerged from this group was that the Internet is seeping into every facet of the American health experience and will change the business of medicine. The highest number of physicians fell into Factor 2. This group comprised 39 percent of the participants. Factor 2, named the "Skeptics," showed interest in the Internet along with many concerns. Those physicians from Factor 3 strongly disagree that the health care system is behind the times in the information revolution. Named "Easy Navigators," physicians in this group responded that they effortlessly find their way around the Internet. Analysis suggests Indiana physician attitudes toward the Internet are concurrent with those nationally. === Department of Journalism |
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