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

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