A novel approach to tailored communication Optimizing online health information for older patients

In light of the rapid growth of health information on the Internet, it is of vital importance to look at tailored online health communication from new perspectives. This dissertation aimed at investigating mode tailoring as a novel tailoring strategy to optimize online health information for older cancer patients. The central question was whether mode tailoring online health information had added value for older patients (≥65 years), and whether effects of mode tailoring were different from younger patients (<65 years). First, this dissertation showed that the use of online health information (both tailored and non-tailored) as preparation for hospital visits benefited health-related outcomes in both younger and older cancer patients. Second, presenting this information in a tailored manner facilitated the motivation (i.e., via increased website engagement and perceived personal relevance) and ability (i.e., via reduced cognitive load) to process online health information. Via these pathways of enhanced motivation and ability, mode tailoring benefited health-related outcomes such as higher satisfaction with information, better recall of information, and decreased anxiety. Together, this dissertation demonstrated that mode tailoring is a promising strategy to optimize online health information for cancer patients. The results are relevant for communication scholars and intervention designers in developing more effective tailored online health information materials. Moreover, this dissertation advances our theoretical understanding of tailored health communication by confirming and extending current theoretical models of tailored communication, investigating different conditions under which mode tailoring is effective, and making a first step towards re-envisioning tailored health communication in a digital information era.