DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/P622-A207
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5837-3307
Defense Date
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Nao Hagiwara
Abstract
College students are less likely than the general population to have a regular primary care provider and engage in routine health visits. Recent research provides evidence that telehealth is a convenient alternative to in-person primary care and that college students are comfortable using this technology, suggesting that telehealth has the potential to mitigate this disparity. However, little research has examined which factors are associated with college students’ intention to use telehealth and attitudes toward telehealth specifically in the primary care context. The overarching goal of this study was to address this gap in the literature and identify factors associated with college students’ intention to use telehealth and attitudes toward telehealth for primary care. This exploratory study drew upon three related lines of research to identify factors: (1) telehealth in the context of psychiatry/mental health visits, (2) telehealth in the context of primary care but in non-college populations, and (3) in-person primary care visits. The results of this study indicate that higher levels of trust in physicians, lower levels of medical mistrust, and lower levels of perceived discrimination in healthcare are associated with greater intention to use telehealth and more positive attitudes toward telehealth. These findings lay the foundation for future research to examine the processes associated with individuals’ utilization of telehealth and factors that promote positive outcomes in telehealth.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
4-25-2023