E-health in Turkey: an analysis of consumer activities

Abstract

This study investigates determinants of online health-related activities of Turkish individuals. By exploiting a data set from a household survey of Turkey, probit models are estimated for quantification of factors influencing participation of individuals in electronic health (e-health). Findings reveal that Turkish females are more likely to employ online tools for health-related purposes. Education level, household income and internet usage frequency have positive relationships with online information search and use of online scheduling for doctor appointments. Age has a non-linear relationship with e-health activities. While relatively younger and older individuals are less likely to engage in online health activities, middle-aged individuals are more likely to participate. While use of information technologies in health-related issues have potential to increase health literacy of the population; this study reveals that there are systematic differences in sub-samples in employment of e-health tools, which should be addressed by policy makers.