Health information needs and health information provider segmentation among chronically ill people with comorbidities (original) (raw)
BMC Family Practice, 2018
Background: People use a variety of means to find health information, including searching the Internet, seeking print sources, and talking to healthcare providers, family members, and friends. Doctors are considered the most trusted source of health information, but people may be underutilizing them in favor of searching the Internet. Methods: A multinomial logistic regression of cross-sectional data from Cycle 4 of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was conducted. Independent variables included gender, age, rurality, cancer history, general health, income, race, education level, insurance status, veteran status, Internet use, and data year; the dependent variable was the first chosen source of health information. Results: The most frequent initial source of health information was the Internet, and the second most frequent was healthcare providers. There were significant differences in odds of using healthcare providers as the first source of health information. Those likely to use doctors as their initial source of health information were older adults, black adults, adults with health insurance, those who do not use the Internet, and adults who do not have a college degree. Conclusions: People who use healthcare providers as the first source of health information may have better access to health care and be those less likely to use the Internet. Doctors may have to provide more information to those who do not use the internet and spend time verifying information for those who do use health information from the internet.
Health informatics journal, 2015
To synthesize findings from previous studies assessing information needs of primary care patients on the Internet and other information sources in a primary care setting. A systematic review of studies was conducted with a comprehensive search in multiple databases including OVID MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus. The most common information needs among patients were information about an illness or medical condition and treatment methods, while the most common information sources were the Internet and patients' physicians. Overall, patients tend to prefer the Internet for the ease of access to information, while they trust their physicians more for their clinical expertise and experience. Barriers to information access via the Internet include the following: socio-demographic variables such as age, ethnicity, income, education, and occupation; information search skills; and reliability of health information. Further research is warranted to assess how to create accurate and reliable h...
Results of a factorial survey investigating the health information seeking behaviors of older adults
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2009
This paper presents the results of research of an experimental research method, the factorial survey, investigating the health information seeking preferences of older adults (60 years and older). Volunteer subjects from rural, urban, and suburban areas in Ohio participated in this study; 450 subjects responded to health information seeking vignettes (the key feature of factorial surveys) and provided demographic data. Using regression analysis and ANOVA, findings from this study address preferences for the format of materials, information on particular health topics, and, preferences for receiving assistance from information providers such as librarians, nurses, pharmacists, and, doctors.
Relationship between Patients’ Access to Health Information and Coping with Chronic Disease
Information Impact: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management
The research examined the association between patients' demographics, access to health information on coping and self-efficacy in managing chronic illness. This is a correlation study. The population for this study is seven hundred and eighty-four patients with chronic diseases in two Federal Government Teaching Hospitals in SouthEast , Nigeria. A Questionnaire and a Coping with Chronic Diseases Self-Efficacy Scale were instruments for data collection. Correlation analysis shows that access to coping information was positively and significantly correlated with self-efficacy in managing chronic diseases. Multiple Regression suggests that disease type was the only patient characteristics significantly associated with self-efficacy when patients have access to coping information. The study conclude that the significant associations indicate that health information can enable patients develop self-efficacy for coping with chronic diseases. Hospital administrators and all stakeholders involved in health care should create an enabling environment for information sharing and flow to patients with chronic diseases. Librarians should play some roles in creating access to health information for patients with chronic diseases through developing and promoting consumer health information resources.
Use of Health Information Varies by Region Among Older Adults in the U.S
Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Objective: To examine geographic variations in health information use among older adults in the United States. Methods: We compared 15,531 adults (age 45 and older) across four U.S. regions. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess health information seeking and use by year. The relationship between health information seeking or use and regional changes were assessed using binomial logistic regression. Binomial models were adjusted by socio-demographics, chronic conditions, and health information sources. Magnitude and direction of relationships were assessed using adjusted odds ratios (aORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and p-values. Results: Only the Northeast region showed increases in health information seeking (3.8%) and use (4.5%) among older adults. However adjusted models showed those living in the Northeast were 28% less likely to use health information to maintain their health and 32% less likely to use health information to treat illness. Conclusion: As a result ...
BMC Family Practice, 2014
Background: The need to understand preferred sources of health information remains important to providing patient-centered care. The Internet remains a popular resource for health information, but more traditional sources may still be valid for patients during a recent health need. This study sought to understand the characteristics of patients that turn to their doctor or healthcare provider first for a recent health or medical information need. Methods: Using the national cross-sectional survey, Health Information National Trend Study [HINTS], characteristics of those who sought a doctor or healthcare provider for a recent health information need were compared to other sources. Weighted survey responses from Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 of the HINTS survey were used for multivariable logistic regression. Results: A total 5,307 patient responses were analyzed. Overall, those who seek a doctor or healthcare provider first for a health need are female, 46-64 years, White non-Hispanic, educated, in good health and users of the Internet. Yet, adjusted logistic regressions showed that those who sought a doctor or healthcare provider first during a recent health information need compared to other sources were most likely to be 65+ years, in poor health, less educated and have health insurance.
Seeking health information online: does limited healthcare access matter?
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA
Consumers facing barriers to healthcare access may use online health information seeking and online communication with physicians, but the empirical relationship has not been sufficiently analyzed. Our study examines the association of barriers to healthcare access with consumers' health-related information searching on the internet, use of health chat groups, and email communication with physicians, using data from 27,210 adults from the 2009 National Health Interview Survey. Individuals with financial barriers to healthcare access, difficulty getting timely appointments with doctors, and conflicts in scheduling during clinic hours are more likely to search for general health information online than those without these access barriers. Those unable to get timely appointments with physicians are more likely to participate in health chat groups and email physicians. The internet may offer a low-cost source of health information and could help meet the heightened demand for health...
Examining Health Information–Seeking Behaviors of Older Adults
CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 2013
This study aims to examine which resources older adults utilize for their health information needs, how trustworthy and reliable they find these resources, and the difficulties they face in obtaining health-related information. A 41-item survey designed to understand the information-seeking characteristics of older adults was developed and distributed to retirement communities. Some items were taken from the Health Information National Trends Survey. Of 1520 surveys, 403 were returned completed (26.6%). Respondents' mean age was 77.65 years. Average scores indicated respondents trusted particular sources of health information in the following order (highest to lowest): health care providers, pharmacists, friends and relatives, retirement community staff, newspapers, the Internet, television, and the radio. In conclusion, older adults have a greater amount of trust in a person with whom they are able to actively discuss their health as opposed to a nonliving source, which they have to access or manipulate, such as the Internet. Efforts must be made to help older adults better navigate and utilize the Internet and recognize dependable online sources so that they may increase their trust in its use, thereby increasing satisfaction with their own ability to seek and use sources of health information.
2012
Objectives: To investigate the patterns and predictors of individual online health information seeking, including socio-demographic characteristics, Internet activities and level of use, type of health information sought, and likelihood of sharing health information with physicians. Data and Methods: Secondary data analysis from a cross-sectional survey of a representative national Canadian consumer sample in 2007 (n=26588). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between Internet search for health information, sharing Internet health information with physicians, and the socio-demographic characteristics, Internet usage levels, and Internet activities of respondents. Results: 61% of the Canadian population more than 16 years old had home Internet access, and 59% of these, or 36% of the population, sought health information via the Internet. Searching for health information was the second most popular online activity, following general Internet activities. Socio-demographic characteristics, Internet usage experience, privacy and security concerns, and Internet activities were significantly associated with health information search. Disease-specific information was the most frequently sought health information, followed by lifestyle information and disease symptoms. Women, individuals who had used the Internet for 2-5 years, and those who lived in megalopolises, were very concerned about Internet privacy and security. Individuals who used the Internet for other activities (general, government and online shopping) were more likely to discuss health information found on the Internet with their physicians. Conclusions: This study reveals that income, rural/urban residency, and the number of persons in households were not significant determinants of Internet use for online health information searches by Canadians. Our study indicates a low level of communication between physicians and patients about health-related information found on the Internet. Strategies to increase Canadian access to the Internet for health information will likely help them to become better informed and active participants with their physicians on health related decisions.