Health Information Seeking Strategies among Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To explore and identify how individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) seek and critically evaluate online health information. <h3>Design</h3> Qualitative descriptive study. <h3>Setting</h3> This study was conducted in the general community setting. <h3>Participants</h3> Community-dwelling individuals with SCI were recruited across Canada. Participants had a mean age of 48 years; 12 participants were female, 8 participants experienced non-traumatic SCI. <h3>Interventions</h3> Not applicable. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Data were collected via one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of 20 participants enrolled in a larger, clinical trial. Analysis of the transcripts was undertaken using a five-step process of thematic analysis. <h3>Results</h3> Our analysis identified four main themes that described how individuals with SCI seek and critically evaluate online health information. Themes included (1) using Google's search engine, (2) using health organization websites, (3) cross-referencing information found online, and (4) matching key words. <h3>Conclusions</h3> By identifying health information seeking strategies among individuals with SCI, these findings can inform researchers and clinicians on the existing ways with which this population utilizes internet-based resources for their health information seeking needs. Long-term, these findings can help guide future health literacy and eHealth literacy programs and interventions. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> We report no real or perceived conflicts of interest.