Ralf Terlutter

Who Uses Physician-Rating Websites? Differences in Sociodemographic Variables, Psychographic Variables, and Health Status of Users and Nonusers of Physician-Rating Websites

Background The number of physician-rating websites (PRWs) is rising rapidly, but usage is still poor. So far, there has been little discussion about what kind of variables influence usage of PRWs. Objective We focused on sociodemographic variables, psychographic variables, and health status of PRW users and nonusers. Methods An online survey of 1006 randomly selected German patients was conducted in September 2012. We analyzed the patients’ knowledge and use of online PRWs. We also analyzed the impact of sociodemographic variables (gender, age, and education), psychographic variables (eg, feelings toward the Internet, digital literacy), and health status on use or nonuse as well as the judgment of and behavior intentions toward PRWs. The survey instrument was based on existing literature and was guided by several research questions. Results A total of 29.3% (289/986) of the sample knew of a PRW and 26.1% (257/986) had already used a PRW. Younger people were more prone than older ones to use PRWs (t 967=2.27, P=.02). Women used them more than men (χ2 1=9.4, P=.002), the more highly educated more than less educated people (χ2 4=19.7, P=.001), and people with chronic diseases more than people without (χ2 1=5.6, P=.02). No differences were found between users and nonusers in their daily private Internet use and in their use of the Internet for health-related information. Users had more positive feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general (t 489=3.07, P=.002) than nonusers, and they had higher digital literacy (t 520=4.20, P<.001). Users ascribed higher usefulness to PRWs than nonusers (t 612=11.61, P<.001) and users trusted information on PRWs to a greater degree than nonusers (t 559=11.48, P<.001). Users were also more likely to rate a physician on a PRW in the future (t 367=7.63, P<.001) and to use a PRW in the future (t 619=15.01, P<.001). The results of 2 binary logistic regression analyses demonstrated that sociodemographic variables (gender, age, education) and health status alone did not predict whether persons were prone to use PRWs or not. Adding psychographic variables and information-seeking behavior variables to the binary logistic regression analyses led to a satisfying fit of the model and revealed that higher education, poorer health status, higher digital literacy (at the 10% level of significance), lower importance of family and pharmacist for health-related information, higher trust in information on PRWs, and higher appraisal of usefulness of PRWs served as significant predictors for usage of PRWs. Conclusions Sociodemographic variables alone do not sufficiently predict use or nonuse of PRWs; specific psychographic variables and health status need to be taken into account. The results can help designers of PRWs to better tailor their product to specific target groups, which may increase use of PRWs in the future.

Gender Differences in Searching for Health Information on the Internet and the Virtual Patient-Physician Relationship in Germany: Exploratory Results on How Men and Women Differ and Why

Background Many studies have shown that women use the Internet more often for health-related information searches than men, but we have limited knowledge about the underlying reasons. We also do not know whether and how women and men differ in their current use of the Internet for communicating with their general practitioner (GP) and in their future intention to do so (virtual patient-physician relationship). Objective This study investigates (1) gender differences in health-related information search behavior by exploring underlying emotional, motivational, attitudinal as well as cognitive variables, situational involvement, and normative influences, and different personal involvement regarding health-related information searching and (2) gender differences in the virtual patient-physician relationship. Methods Gender differences were analyzed based on an empirical online survey of 1006 randomly selected German patients. The sample was drawn from an e-panel maintained by GfK HealthCare. A total of 958 usable questionnaires were analyzed. Principal component analyses were carried out for some variables. Differences between men (517/958) and women (441/958) were analyzed using t tests and Kendall’s tau-b tests. The survey instrument was guided by several research questions and was based on existing literature. Results Women were more engaged in using the Internet for health-related information searching. Gender differences were found for the frequency of usage of various Internet channels for health-related information searches. Women used the Internet for health-related information searches to a higher degree for social motives and enjoyment and they judged the usability of the Internet medium and of the information gained by health information searches higher than men did. Women had a more positive attitude toward Web 2.0 than men did, but perceived themselves as less digitally competent. Women had a higher health and nutrition awareness and a greater reluctance to make use of medical support, as well as a higher personal disposition of being well-informed as a patient. Men may be more open toward the virtual patient-physician relationship. Conclusions Women have a stronger social motive for and experience greater enjoyment in health-related information searches, explained by social role interpretations, suggesting these needs should be met when offering health-related information on the Internet. This may be interesting for governmental bodies as well as for the insurance and the pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, women may be more easily convinced by health awareness campaigns and are, therefore, the primary target group for them. Men are more open to engaging in a virtual relationship with the GP; therefore, they could be the primary target group for additional online services offered by GPs. There were several areas for GPs to reinforce the virtual patient-physician relationship: the fixing of personal appointments, referral to other doctors, writing prescriptions, and discussions of normal test results and doctor’s notes/certificates of health.

What Explains Usage of Mobile Physician-Rating Apps? Results From a Web-Based Questionnaire

Background Consumers are increasingly accessing health-related information via mobile devices. Recently, several apps to rate and locate physicians have been released in the United States and Germany. However, knowledge about what kinds of variables explain usage of mobile physician-rating apps is still lacking. Objective This study analyzes factors influencing the adoption of and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps. A structural equation model was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model and the literature on health-related information searches and usage of mobile apps. Relationships in the model were analyzed for moderating effects of physician-rating website (PRW) usage. Methods A total of 1006 randomly selected German patients who had visited a general practitioner at least once in the 3 months before the beginning of the survey were randomly selected and surveyed. A total of 958 usable questionnaires were analyzed by partial least squares path modeling and moderator analyses. Results The suggested model yielded a high model fit. We found that perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the Internet to gain health-related information, the sociodemographic variables age and gender, and the psychographic variables digital literacy, feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general, patients’ value of health-related knowledgeability, as well as the information-seeking behavior variables regarding the amount of daily private Internet use for health-related information, frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past, and attitude toward PRWs significantly affected the adoption of mobile physician-rating apps. The sociodemographic variable age, but not gender, and the psychographic variables feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general and patients’ value of health-related knowledgeability, but not digital literacy, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. Frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past and attitude toward PRWs, but not the amount of daily Internet use for health-related information, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. The perceived usefulness of the Internet to gain health-related information and the amount of daily Internet use in general did not have any significant effect on both of the endogenous variables. The moderation analysis with the group comparisons for users and nonusers of PRWs revealed that the attitude toward PRWs had significantly more impact on the adoption and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps in the nonuser group. Conclusions Important variables that contribute to the adoption of a mobile physician-rating app and the willingness to pay for it were identified. The results of this study are important for researchers because they can provide important insights about the variables that influence the acceptance of apps that allow for ratings of physicians. They are also useful for creators of mobile physician-rating apps because they can help tailor mobile physician-rating apps to the consumers’ characteristics and needs.

Skepticism Toward Pharmaceutical Advertising in the U.S. and Germany

The purpose of this investigation is to add to the body of knowledge regarding consumer skepticism toward advertising in general, and toward pharmaceutical advertising in particular. The study was conducted in the U.S. and in Germany. Skepticism toward advertising for both prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals was analyzed. Additional variables explored include: health consciousness, product involvement with pharmaceuticals, satisfaction with information in pharmaceutical advertising, and the importance of pharmaceutical advertising as a source of information. Furthermore, differences in the cultural value of uncertainty avoidance between U.S. and German consumers were examined and related to skepticism toward pharmaceutical advertising. Three hundred and forty-one Americans and 447 Germans were surveyed. A significant finding of this research revealed that skepticism toward pharmaceutical advertising is lower than skepticism toward advertising in general. Results also indicated that consumers showed no difference in their level of skepticism toward advertising for prescription versus non-prescription drugs. This is a particularly relevant finding as it relates directly to the ongoing discussion in Europe regarding whether or not to lift the ban on advertising for prescription drugs. Skepticism toward pharmaceutical advertising was found to be significantly negatively related to involvement with pharmaceuticals, to satisfaction with the informational content of the advertisements, to satisfaction with the comprehensibility of the advertisements, and to the importance placed on advertising as a source of health information. Regarding cultural differences, U.S. consumers appear to be less skeptical toward advertising in general, and toward advertising for prescription and non-prescription drugs in particular, than German consumers. This may be due to the lower degree of uncertainty avoidance in the U.S. Differences between the two countries related to the additional variables examined in the study are addressed as well. Implications for consumer protection policies are discussed, and recommendations for advertisers of pharmaceutical products are provided. The authors provide a cultural explanation for differences in the degree of skepticism between U.S. and German audiences.

The influence of advergames on consumers’ attitudes and behaviour: an empirical study among young consumers

Companies are increasingly making use of advergames. Advergames are regarded as innovative tools for relationship building with the customer, which are suitable for both existing and new products, for both established companies and business start-ups. This paper investigates the influences of advergames on consumers’ brand attitudes and behaviour intentions. As most of the current advergames target children, this study reports on findings from an experiment conducted with 97 school pupils aged between nine and 12. Implications of the use of advergames; e.g., for launching new products, public policy issues and selected limitations will be discussed. This research can be considered highly innovative since hardly any studies exist, which have analysed the effects of advergames on existing consumer attitudes. No single study has shown the influence on behaviour, and finally, this study has been applied in the special context of young consumers.

What Predicts Patients’ Willingness to Undergo Online Treatment and Pay for Online Treatment? Results from a Web-Based Survey to Investigate the Changing Patient-Physician Relationship

Background Substantial research has focused on patients’ health information–seeking behavior on the Internet, but little is known about the variables that may predict patients’ willingness to undergo online treatment and willingness to pay additionally for online treatment. Objective This study analyzed sociodemographic variables, psychosocial variables, and variables of Internet usage to predict willingness to undergo online treatment and willingness to pay additionally for online treatment offered by the general practitioner (GP). Methods An online survey of 1006 randomly selected German patients was conducted. The sample was drawn from an e-panel maintained by GfK HealthCare. Missing values were imputed; 958 usable questionnaires were analyzed. Variables with multi-item measurement were factor analyzed. Willingness to undergo online treatment and willingness to pay additionally for online treatment offered by the GP were predicted using 2 multiple regression models. Results Exploratory factor analyses revealed that the disposition of patients’ personality to engage in information-searching behavior on the Internet was unidimensional. Exploratory factor analysis with the variables measuring the motives for Internet usage led to 2 separate factors: perceived usefulness (PU) of the Internet for health-related information searching and social motives for information searching on the Internet. Sociodemographic variables did not serve as significant predictors for willingness to undergo online treatment offered by the GP, whereas PU (B=.092, P=.08), willingness to communicate with the GP more often in the future (B=.495, P<.001), health-related information–seeking personality (B=.369, P<.001), actual use of online communication with the GP (B=.198, P<.001), and social motive (B=.178, P=.002) were significant predictors. Age, gender, satisfaction with the GP, social motive, and trust in the GP had no significant impact on the willingness to pay additionally for online treatment, but it was predicted by health-related information–seeking personality (B=.127, P=.07), PU (B=–.098, P=.09), willingness to undergo online treatment (B=.391, P<.001), actual use of online communication with the GP (B=.192, P=.001), highest education level (B=.178, P<.001), monthly household net income (B=.115, P=.01), and willingness to communicate with the GP online more often in the future (B=.076, P=.03). Conclusions Age, gender, and trust in the GP were not significant predictors for either willingness to undergo online treatment or to pay additionally for online treatment. Willingness to undergo online treatment was partly determined by the actual use of online communication with the GP, willingness to communicate online with the GP, health information–seeking personality, and social motivation for such behavior. Willingness to pay extra for online treatment was influenced by the monthly household net income category and education level. The results of this study are useful for online health care providers and physicians who are considering offering online treatments as a viable number of patients would appreciate the possibility of undergoing an online treatment offered by their GP.

GLOBE Cultural Dimensions: Providing Insights for Advertising Execution in the Global Marketplace

From A (Absolute Vodka) to V (Visa), marketers are increasingly launching global campaigns to promote their products and services to consumers in every corner of the planet (PR Newswire, 2007; corporate.visa.com, 2009). There appears to be ample evidence that standardized advertising is more feasible than ever before (Mueller and Taylor, 2011). The benefits of a common marketing and, in particular, advertising strategy are manifold.

Aufbau von Erlebniswelten durch Kommunikation

Nur Produkte zu verkaufen, die ihren Grundnutzen erfullen und ordnungsgemas funktionieren, reicht heutzutage nicht mehr aus. Die Konsumenten verlangen vielmehr einen Zusatznutzen; sie mochten etwas erleben. Kommunikation und Produktdesign mussen zur Imageprofilierung verstarkt auf Erlebnisstrategien zuruckgreifen, denn bei der heute vorhandenen Erlebnisorientierung (vgl. z.B. Weinberg, 1992a; Opaschowski, 2002, 2006; Schulze, 2005) kann man sich eher durch Produktimages als durch Produkteigenschaften von den Konkurrenten abheben. In den Augen der Verbraucher ist eine gute Produktqualitat oft selbstverstandlich, mit zunehmender Mark tkenntnis nimmt das funktional orientierte Informationsbedurfnis ab. Gering involvierte Konsumenten sind besonders beeinflussbar durch emotionale Kommunikation, die die Angebote in der Gefuhls-und Erfahrungswelt positioniert. Bei den heute vorherrschenden gesattigten Markten und ausgereiften, weitgehend austauschbaren Produkten konnen langfristig nur Marken uberleben, denen es gelingt, sich dauerhaft positiv in den Kopfen der Konsumenten zu verankern (vgl. Weinberg/Diehl, 2001). Die Erlebnisqualitat einer Marke wird zu einem zentralen Kaufkriterium und pragt die Marktkommunikation der Zukunft (vgl. Opaschowski, 2001, S. 99).

Integrated CSR Advertising: With a Special Focus on the Intercultural Perspective

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming ever more important in today’s business world. For consumers, the knowledge that a company engages in CSR is increasingly a crucial factor in their decision-making. However, for consumers to know about CSR activities, it requires that companies communicate about their engagement to their stakeholders. Advertising is but one means of communicating CSR efforts. In the academic literature, CSR advertising has received disproportionally little attention, in comparison to the bulk of CSR literature. This chapter provides a review of the current literature dealing with the topic of CSR advertising, with a special focus on intercultural CSR advertising. Qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted in this area, with the majority of quantitative studies involving experiments. Directions for further research are provided, as significant research gaps in the area of CSR advertising, and in particular in the area of integrated and intercultural CSR advertising, exist.

Der Einfluss der Medien auf die Wirkung emotionaler Werbung

Dr. Sandra Diehl ist wissenschaftliche Assistentin am Lehrstuhl für Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insb. Marketing, und am Institut für Konsumund Verhaltensforschung an der Universität des Saarlandes, 66123 Saarbrücken, E-Mail: s.diehl@ikv.uni-saarland.de PD Dr. Ralf Terlutter, Lehrstuhl für Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insb. Marketing, und Institut für Konsumund Verhaltensforschung an der Universität des Saarlandes, 66123 Saarbrücken, E-Mail: r.terlutter@ikv.unisaarland.de Der Einfluss der Medien auf die Wirkung emotionaler Werbung Wirkt emotionale Internetwerbung ähnlich wie emotionale Printwerbung? Ein internationaler Vergleich in zwei Ländern