THE IMPACT OF INTERNET USAGE ON HEALTH-CARE EXPENDITURES AND SUSTAINABILITY

Marco Benvenuto – UNISALENTO, Centro Ecotekne Pal. C – S.P. 6, Lecce – Monteroni, CAP 72023 – ITALY
Francesco Vincenzo Sambati – UNISALENTO, Centro Ecotekne Pal. C – S.P. 6, Lecce – Monteroni, CAP 72023 – ITALY
Carmine Viola – UNISALENTO, Centro Ecotekne Pal. C – S.P. 6, Lecce – Monteroni, CAP 72023 – ITALY

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/ERAZ.S.P.2019.95

5th International Conference – ERAZ 2019 – KNOWLEDGE BASED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, Budapest – Hungary, May 23, 2019, SELECTED PAPERS

Published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans – Belgrade, Serbia
Conference partners: Faculty of Economics and Business, Mediterranean University, Montenegro; University of National and World Economy – Sofia, Bulgaria; Faculty of Commercial and Business Studies – Celje, Slovenia; Faculty of Applied Management, Economics and Finance – Belgrade, Serbia;

ISBN 978-86-80194-21-9, ISSN 2683-5568, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/ERAZ.S.P.2019

Abstract

Introduction: The increasing age, the presence of different diseases that affect the health of
individuals and the new opportunities of access to information are changing the process of acquisition
of data on health status. Very often, the process of autonomous research of information leads to wrong
self-diagnosis with consequent repercussions on health expenditures (e.g.: unnecessary hospitalization)
and, generally, on sustainability of health systems.
Scope: This work aims to examine the influence of Digital Divide and Internet Usage (DD/IU) on autonomous
Health Information Seeking (HIC) process, in order to get useful information about its impact on
Healthcare Expenditures per Individual (HEPI). Similarly, this work aims to recognize and understand,
from an economical, organizational and technological perspective, the correlation between DD/IUHIS
and HEPI.
Methods: To discover the link between DD/IU, HIS and HEPI, we conducted a systematic literature
review in order to understand the network of behind these concepts and we applied the Panel Linear
Model (PLM) approach in a case study to prove the correlation.
Findings: By analysing the literature on between DD/IU and HIS ties have emerged between the research
topics. These findings have been also revealed by a significative impact. This suggests that,
since people live longer, the more individuals access the Internet to get information on health status,
the more effective the health expenditure is. All of this has repercussions on the long-term sustainability
of the health system, requiring a re-modulation of the services provided, the professionalism and the
technologies adopted.

Key words

Digital Divide, Health Information Seeking, Health-care Expenditures, Internet Usage,
Internet Access.

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