The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has served as a magnifying glass for cyberchondria, while the internet emerged as one of the main sources of medical information and support. The core ambition of this study was to estimate the level of cyberchondria and describe the socio-demographic, clinical and pandemic-related factors affecting its severity amid the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was performed between 16 May 2020 and 29 December 2020 in Poland within a sample of 538 adult internet users. The online survey tool included a Polish adaptation of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-PL) and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), complemented with a set of questions covering sociodemographic, clinical and pandemic-related factors. Participants were clustered according to severity of health anxiety and cyberchondria symptoms. The performed binary logistic regression indicated professional inactivity, having a chronic mental disorder and subjectively limited access to healthcare due to COVID-19 to be key determinants of severe health anxiety and cyberchondria. Cyberchondria might be a remarkable public health issue as large proportion of respondents from the analyzed sample population of internet users met the criteria for severe symptoms. Key determinants of intense cyberchondria corresponded with employment stability, mental resilience and accessibility of healthcare services, which could be greatly challenged amid the pandemic.

This study aimed to test if perceived social support and cyberchondria mediate the association between health anxiety and quality of life (QoL) in a nonclinical sample. Cross-sectional research involved adult internet users (n = 538) between 16 May 2020 and 29 December 2020 in Poland who completed self-report questionnaires, including the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS-PL), the short health anxiety inventory (SHAI), the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) and the quality of life scale (QOLS). A mediation analysis was performed to examine the direct effects of health anxiety on cyberchondria, perceived social support and quality of life. Likewise, the effects of cyberchondria and perceived social support on QoL were analyzed. Hence, indirect effects of health anxiety on QoL through cyberchondria and perceived social support were explored. Health anxiety significantly impaired QoL both directly and indirectly through low-perceived social support. Perceived social support partly mediated the association between health anxiety and QoL. Cyberchondria did not have a significant direct effect on the latter. Thus, cyberchondria did not mediate the relationship between health anxiety and QoL. Boosting-perceived social support may mitigate the detrimental effect of health anxiety on QoL. Cyberchondria was not found to have a significant effect on QoL in contrast to health anxiety alone.

Introduction and objective: The nature of the work of doctors is inseparable from responsibility for human health and life, exposure to many risk factors related to physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial risks, as well as the specificity of the organization of the health care system in...

Introduction: Patients are increasingly aware of ways to manage their own health—especially regarding chronic diseases—along with the fundamental factors that should be present in well-organized and patient-oriented healthcare organizations. Due to the fact that the image of healthcare organizations depends on patients’ opinions, healthcare organizations are continuously improving and transforming their processes to increase patient satisfaction. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between patients’ opinions about the public hospitals in which they were treated and selected factors, including socio-demographic characteristics, previous hospital experiences, sources of information, and satisfaction with hospitalization in Poland. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients hospitalized in eight public hospitals in Wrocław. A self-developed questionnaire included two sections: (I) opinions about the hospital (11 items) and (II) expectations and satisfaction (12 items). Questionnaires were distributed in person. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation and chi-square tests. Results: Hospital image was shaped mainly by interpersonal factors, particularly staff kindness (82.9%), access to specialists (75.4%), and a sense of safety (54.4%). Women were more likely than men to seek information about hospitals before admission (47.6% vs. 39.3%; p = 0.021). A positive correlation was found between patient expectations and satisfaction with hospitalization (ρ = 0.425; p < 0.001). Media exposure played a minor role in shaping hospital image (22.1%), while personal recommendations and previous experience were the dominant sources of influence. Conclusions: Patients’ assessments of hospital image are determined primarily by relational and communication factors rather than infrastructural or technical aspects. Sociodemographic characteristics, such as gender and previous contact with the institution, may moderate these perceptions. The findings highlight the need to strengthen patient-centered care models, improve communication competencies among health professionals, and develop transparent institutional communication strategies.