College students and patient work: Health information management by emerging young adults

College students with a life experience of chronic illness and impairments grow into young adulthood as health information monitors as well as communicators with healthcare professionals. This interview study focused on the health information management practices of college and graduate students living with disabilities and chronic illness. SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety), a work system model drawn from human factors engineering, was used as a conceptual framework for qualitative analysis. This revealed the importance of other people, particularly parents, in patients' information worlds. Digital technologies were ubiquitous; analog tools from business cards to binders were also key components of students' information systems. Using the SEIPS structure to interrogate the data allowed an understanding of how health experiences are integrated into everyday life. The findings of this research may provide health information technology designers and information science researchers insight into how to meet the needs of this population.     

突发公共卫生事件网络虚假信息传播行为影响因素研究——以新冠疫情期间微博虚假信息为例

[目的/意义]探究影响突发公共卫生事件网络虚假信息传播行为的因素,为有针对性地监测预警、阻断传播突发公共卫生事件网络虚假信息提供借鉴参考。[方法/过程]基于S-O-R理论模型,综合考虑外部刺激因素和个体认知因素对传播者信任感知及传播行为的影响,提出相关研究假设,并利用新冠肺疫情期间微博平台的虚假信息进行验证。[结果/结论]突发公共卫生事件的虚假信息质量、信息发布者影响力和事件进展对信息接收者的信息传播行为具有显著促进作用,医护人员主题、呈现积极情感的网络虚假信息更容易获得信任和传播,网络影响力高的信息接收者在虚假信息传播过程中起到辟谣作用。     

不同养老模式下老人日常生活信息查询行为的影响因素

目的：调查不同养老模式下老人日常生活信息查询行为的影响因素。方法：采用分层抽样和整群抽样相结合的方法,对中部地区不同养老模式下的1178名60岁以上常住老人进行日常生活信息查询行为影响因素问卷调查,并采用自行设计的老年人日常生活信息查询行为量表评价其查询能力。结果：中部地区家庭、社区及机构养老模式下老年人日常生活信息查询行为总分分别为62.63±13.12分,65.16±13.37分,57.84±11.98分。年龄、健康状况、文化程度、身体因素、设备不全、查询能力及是否参加过培训等是老人日常生活信息查询行为的影响因素。结论：应根据不同养老模式下老人信息查询行为的影响因素,强化养老工作,提高其总体信息查询能力。     

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��[Purpose/significance] Online health communities (OHC) are important platforms for anyone who cares about health problems to share experiences, knowledge and emotions, and users' participation is key to the development of OHC. A comprehensive review on related impact factors of users' participation behaviors can provide a systematic reference for the research in this field.[Method/process] From the comprehensive perspective of information ecosystem, this paper systematically and thoroughly reviews the primary achievements and research status of the influencing factors and mechanism of users' participation behaviors from four dimensions of information people, information, information technology and information environment.[Result/conclusion] Users' participation behaviors are influenced by information, information people, information technology and information environment. Relevant research results are fruitful and mature research topics have been formed. Finally, this paper looks forward to the future research trends, from dimensions of community types, user types, and continuous participation.     

Communicating About Chronic Caregiving in the Workplace: Employees’ Disclosure Preferences,Intentions, and Behaviors

A growing number of Americans are living with chronic health conditions that require informal, ongoing care from family members who are also in the paid labor force. In this exploratory study, communication privacy management is used to make sense of chronic caregiving (N = 48–64) and noncaregiving (N = 174–178) employees’ disclosure preferences, intentions, and behaviors in the workplace. We find that workers in general anticipate that they would disclose to many individuals at work about their caregiving, but employees actually disclose much less information to far fewer people at work when they occupy the chronic caregiver role. For chronic caregivers, positive perceptions about coworker supportiveness predict increased disclosure behaviors. Finally, future research directions as employers, workers, and policy makers prepare for the complex challenges associated with negotiating paid work and unpaid chronic caregiving are provided.     

Health education for Somali Bantu refugees via home visits

Background: Somali Bantu refugees, with unique health information needs, created challenges for health and social service providers. Objectives: A service innovation was developed (i) to raise awareness, especially among local health and social service providers, about the Bantu refugees’ presence in the community, their culture, and their information needs and (ii) to deliver needed health information, emphasizing child health, to the Bantu mothers in their homes. Methods: The project consisted of: (i) a community conference targeting local health and social service providers, describing the refugees’ presence in the community, their culture, and information needs. (ii) Focus groups conducted with members of the Bantu population elicited additional information needs. (iii) Curriculum was developed based on identified needs, and (iv) the curriculum was delivered to the refugees in their homes. A clinical informationist and MP3 technology enhanced the project. Findings: Conference attendees’ evaluation responses indicated improved understanding of Bantu culture. Focus groups’ identification of health information needs provided a framework for the health education curriculum. A project website made educational materials available to other healthcare providers. Conclusions: The project raised awareness of the Bantus’ presence, culture, and information needs. Identification of other unmet needs demonstrated that additional support for refugees is required.     

Effects of Mass and Interpersonal Communication on Breast Cancer Screening: Advancing Agenda-Setting Theory in Health Contexts

Drawing on components of agenda-setting theory and the two-step flow of information from mass media to news audiences, this study examines the effects of mass and interpersonal communication on breast cancer screening practices among college- and middle-aged women (n = 284). We theorized that screening behaviors among younger women would be influenced more by interpersonal sources of information while screening among middle-aged women would be more influenced by exposure to mass-mediated information. Findings supported anticipated patterns, revealing important and varying roles for both mass and interpersonal communication in the health behaviors of women. Implications for health practitioners and campaign planners, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed.     

Older adults' health information behavior in everyday life settings

Health information seeking is an important part of older adults' everyday lives as they cope with their health conditions. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 older adults in the United States were analyzed using Savolainen's everyday life information seeking (ELIS) model, especially its key concepts such as way of life and mastery of life. The interview data revealed that except for health care providers, a spouse or partner was mentioned as a credible interpersonal source of health information among older adults in a marital or romantic relationship. Characteristics of older adults' health information behavior in the ELIS context were identified based on types of way of life and mastery of life. For example, those who had more varied types of hobbies, including cognitive, affective, and social hobbies, were exposed to diverse people as they performed their daily routine, potentially resulting in different sources of useful health information. In couple relationships, those with an optimistic as opposed to pessimistic attitude toward a problem-solving situation played the information provider role rather than information receiver role.     

公共部门信息获取关注因素研究

研究目前公众对公共部门信息服务的关注因素, 通过问卷调查的方法, 调研公众进行公共部门信息获取时, 对公共信息的质量、合法性、版权、获取时间、获取地点、获取成本和来源的关注情况.最终得到结论:我国公众获取公共部门信息时, 对信息质量的关注度最高, 其次是获取时间和获取成本.用户的受教育程度、所处城市等个人属性, 会对公众对信息的关注程度有所影响.我国公共部门在提供信息获取服务时, 首先应当考虑到所提供信息的质量, 此外应当针对不同地区、不同人群的需求, 适当地开展个性化服务, 提高信息服务的水平和层次.     

在线健康社区用户参与行为的影响因素研究综述

[目的/意义]在线健康社区是健康问题关注者交流经验、知识和情感的重要平台,而用户参与是社区发展的关键。对用户参与行为的影响因素进行综合评述,可为这方面研究提供系统参考。[方法/过程]从信息生态系统的综合视角出发,分别从信息人、信息、信息技术和信息环境4个维度,系统评述用户参与行为影响因素和影响机理的主要成果和研究现状。[结果/结论]用户参与行为受到信息人、信息、信息技术和信息环境各维度的综合影响,相关成果比较丰富,已经形成较为成熟的研究主题。从社区类型、用户类型、持续参与等方面对未来研究趋势进行展望。     

移动终端视角下的老年用户在线健康信息搜寻行为影响因素研究

[目的/意义] 结合目前人口老龄化日渐严重的社会背景,探究我国老年用户在线健康信息搜寻的行为机理,丰富当前老年用户信息搜寻行为理论研究成果,引导老年用户有效搜寻健康信息,优化健康信息服务部门工作。[方法/过程] 采用半结构化访谈的方法收集24位老年用户的在线健康信息搜寻经历,运用扎根理论提炼出老年用户在线健康信息搜寻行为的内外5个影响因素,构建老年用户在线健康信息搜寻行为影响因素的理论模型。[结果/结论] 最终得到网络环境因素、个体特征因素、社会支持因素、移动终端客观因素和个体认知因素是影响老年用户在线健康信息搜寻行为的关键因素,深入阐释各因素与搜寻行为间的作用机理。并根据理论模型,对政府、医疗机构、APP类软件等健康信息提供方提出一些可行的建议。     

Caregivers of children feel confident about using the Internet for health information

Background

Caregivers of children may rely on internet sources, health care providers, peers or family for health information.

Objective

To examine the impact of sociodemographic factors on the use of the internet for health information by caregivers of children, and the impact on self-efficacy, effort and frustration.

Methods

Using data from the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey, the effects of information source on self-efficacy, effort and frustration was examined using the complex samples module of SPSS.

Results

The internet was the most common source of health information for caregivers of children (n = 247), with high confidence, low frustration and effort reported. Younger, higher educated and higher income caregivers were significantly more likely to use the internet for health information. Information from Health Care Providers (HCPs) was associated with greater confidence, and information from peers associated with lesser effort and frustration. No significant effects on self-efficacy, effort or frustration for online health information was noted compared to other sources.

Conclusions

Efforts to reduce barriers to online health information may be required for some groups of caregivers, and health care providers may have a role to play in this.     

Information Sources and the Health Information-Seeking Process: An Application and Extension of Channel Complementarity Theory

Contemporary information seekers can acquire health information from an unprecedented variety of sources. The reported study applied and extended channel complementarity theory to explain the use of multiple information sources in the health-information-seeking process. Channel complementarity was extended to consider four characteristics (i.e., access to medical expertise, tailorability, anonymity, and convenience) of health-information sources. The information-seeking behavior of 3,392 respondents from the 2007–2008 Health Information National Trends Survey was analyzed to test study hypotheses. Results indicate that, sources were used complementarily based on tailorability and anonymity during health-information sources. Additionally, the likelihood of using complementary sources based on all four characteristics changed during the search process.     

‘Health literacy for all’: exploring the feasibility of an intervention to reduce health disparities among rural children

ABSTRACT

Roughly one in five U.S. children live in rural areas and they are more likely than nonrural children to experience chronic illnesses, unfulfilled medical needs, and poverty – yet health literacy intervention research for rural children is lacking. Thus, this study explores a health literacy intervention in two rural public elementary schools that have very different socioeconomic levels, educational achievement rates, and initial health literacy scores. Findings show significant improvement in health literacy in the low-income school, such that the initial differences in health literacy between the two schools were no longer present at posttest (p?<?.001). There was a slight improvement in School 1 students' perceived confidence to communicate with healthcare providers, but School 2 students' communication confidence did not change from pre to post intervention. The hopeful outcomes suggest implications for future school-based interventions that teach young children about health communication, self-efficacy, and critical decision-making.     

Sexual Minority Health: A Bibliography and Preliminary Study of the Book Literature

The literature on health in people who identify as sexual minorities is scattered in many types of resources and disciplines. To help address the need for relevant, well-organized information for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and health care providers, this study first identified books published in a ten-year period and then examined the topics, the number of books published per year, most prolific authors, and primary publishers. A wide range of publishers published a relatively small number of books (521). Most were about mental health or relationships and 24% were personal accounts. There were many subject deficiencies in the published book corpus.     

Who goes to a library for cancer information in the e-health era? A secondary data analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)

This study identifies characteristics of Americans who chose the library as their primary cancer information source over the Internet by examining demographic characteristics, online use experience, concerns of information quality, and perceptions of cancer information seeking. A secondary data analysis is conducted using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Findings reveal that people who are more likely to choose the library are, compared to their Internet counterparts, people who lack online experience, are distrustful of online cancer information, and are more aware of cancer sources. However, they are not necessarily more adept cancer information seekers and do not have a greater expectation of getting quality information from the library. These findings suggest how the library plays its role as an information source for cancer information consumers in the e-health environment. Implications of the findings are discussed in a way that libraries could invest their efforts to reduce the digital health divide and to advance consumer health information literacy.     

Health literacy and consumer health information

The rigours of the past few years have demonstrated the importance of good health literacy levels with the imperative of being able to obtain and interpret information to maintain and improve one's health never more apparent. With this in mind, this issue is focused on consumer health information, the gender and population group differences that exist in information seeking behaviour, the challenges of understanding medical explanations and terminology, and existing criteria to assess and ultimately produce better consumer health information.     

Information Needs Assessment for K-12 School Nurses in Rural Eastern Washington State

School nurses are an often-overlooked population of health care professionals who have great importance in rural communities where access to health care is limited. In order to better serve school nurses in rural eastern Washington, an assessment was conducted to determine their information needs, behaviors, and perceptions. Results indicated this population of school nurses searches for multiple types of health information on a daily basis and navigates obstacles to information access using a variety of resources. While largely confident in their searching ability, they are open to learning more about how to find reliable health information to support their daily responsibilities. These results will guide the development of a workshop for school nurses about using reliable health information resources to improve health care in their rural communities.     

Effectiveness of the Radio as a Health Information Source

This study assesses the radio as a source of health information and identifies contributing factors to listeners' intentions to change health-related behavior. After listening to a 1-hour health-talk radio program, 99 participants completed an Internet-based survey instrument. Results indicate 27.3% of participants regularly obtained health information from the radio and 68.7% from the Internet; 92.9% of participants reported an increase in knowledge and 65.7% reported intentions to change health behaviors. Participants were more likely to report behavior change intentions if they obtained health information from multiple sources (OR = 1.47). Implications of this study emphasize making radio content available via the Internet.     

Health information seeking behaviour during exceptional times: A case study of Persian-speaking minorities in Finland

Literature on minorities' health-related information seeking shows that minorities, like non-minorities, require access to accurate and timely information, but they also need information in a range of languages and from a variety of sources. Health-related information seeking behaviour of Persian-speaking minorities living in Finland, explicitly focused on the COVID-19 pandemic situation, was investigated. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the extended Longo Health Information Model was used as a theoretical lens for analysing the data. The results point to several factors that can improve the outcome of minorities' health-related information seeking behaviours and activities, such as providing information related to their personal health, a deeper understanding of factors influencing the quality of health conditions at the individual or household level and broadcasting the latest health-related information in different languages and emphasize the needs for mental health-related information and services. The findings suggest that not only healthcare providers, immigration officials, and policymakers should be aware of the specific health-related information that minorities require, seek, and use during times of adversity, but also the extent to which how the identified factors influence the process of minorities' seeking health-related information.