This is an experimental study into the effects of exposure to online pharmacies that sell home tests for diagnosing a medical disease, on people’s attitudes and behavioral intentions.
‘Online pharmacies’ are Internet-based webshops that sell medical products to individual consumers for use at home (e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_pharmacy)‘Home diagnostic tests’ are tests that one can use independently, i.e. without a prescription, supervision or intervention by a health professional, to diagnose a medical disease or disease risk factor (e.g., http://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/issue/2009/2009-03/2009-03- 10050). Examples include allergy test, cholesterol test, and HIV test.
Across the board, people can be expected …show more content…
H2: Participants exposed to home diagnostic tests are more likely to choose home diagnostic tests over hospital diagnostic tests, than participants exposed to hospital diagnostic tests.
H3: Participants exposed to home diagnostic tests are more likely to initiate discussion with the doctor against referral to a hospital test, and anticipate a positive reaction from the doctor to initiating discussion, than participants exposed to hospital diagnostic tests.
H4: The more positive attitude towards the hospital diagnostic tests vs. the home diagnostic tests just shown, will be more pronounced when the disease is more serious than when the disease is less serious.
H5: The higher likelihood of initiating discussion with the doctor against referral to a hospital test and anticipating a positive reaction from the doctor to initiating discussion after exposed to home diagnostic tests vs. hospital diagnostic tests, just shown will be more pronounced when the disease is milder than when the disease is more