What Does the Proxyseeker Tell to Whom, in Which Channel, and with What Effect? Understanding Information Transfer for Others' Health Issues Based on Lasswell's Communication Model.

While proxy health information-seeking (proxyseeking) is common, little is known about the subsequent communication transfer between the proxy and the health-affected person. Thus, this study applies Lasswell's communication model-examining who communicates what, to whom, through which channel, and with what effect-alongside Tomasello's concept of communication as cooperation to analyze shared intentions across different relationship types. We conducted semi-structured online interviews with n = 53 proxyseekers and n = 25 corresponding health affected persons. With regard to the what, proxies in our sample are most likely to share information about acute issues, while chronic diseases or prevention are less likely. The information-sharing channels proxies choose are manifold. Although some proxies clearly prefer either face-to-face or telephone or certain instant messengers, most of them combine channels to deepen the information transfer. With regard to the effects of proxyseeking we identified three topics: (a) health consequences for the health affected person, (b) health-related actions of both, and (c) effects on the relationship dynamics. Comparing the different types of relationships and their (non-)shared intentions, we see a high level of trust and social support between all types of dyads but also conflicts and taboos. This indicates that proxies' behavior is often not limited to information transfer but also includes actions to help and forms of informal caregiving and shared intentionality, which has important theoretical and practical implications for the research on the exchange after proxy health information-seeking, an important yet understudied aspect of health communication.