Mediatisation of health discourse: A focus group study in Hungary
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/sce.01401Keywords:
mediatisation of health discourse, focus group research, digital health literacy, self-medication and online information, generational differences in media useAbstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the mediatisation of health discourse from 2017 onwards. We conducted a focus group study examining participants’ perceptions of health, attitudes towards health and self-medication, and media use habits related to health and health-related issues across three age groups (young, middle-aged, and elderly). A qualitative research design was employed: six focus group interviews were conducted at the Department of Communication and Media Studies of the University of Szeged, Hungary, in the winter of 2017 and the summer of 2018. The results of the interviews indicate that participants held a generally positive view of the work carried out by public healthcare employees on an individual level, while simultaneously expressing a negative and sceptical attitude towards public healthcare as a system from the outset. Among other factors, word-of-mouth communication reinforces the widespread perception that doctor–patient relationships are undermined by the sharing of experiences on the Internet.
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