Information Seeking Behavior Of Patients Research Articles

Characterizing informational needs and information seeking behavior of patients with breast cancer

BackgroundAppropriate information may facilitate adjustment to cancer diagnoses. Our study aims to characterize informational satisfaction in breast cancer patients and assess resources used by patients to gain information. MethodsNewly diagnosed Stage 0-III breast cancer patients seen at an academic medical center between May and September 2020 received questionnaires assessing information satisfaction. Patients indicated resources used to obtain information along with satisfaction with information received in various topics. A subset of questionnaire respondents completed semi-structured interviews. ResultsFifty-two (35 ​%) patients completed the questionnaire. Patients received information from physicians (96 ​%), the internet (81 ​%), nurses (79 ​%), and fellow breast cancer patients (54 ​%). Interview participants preferred receiving information from providers when making medical decisions but found patient forums and social media to be important adjuncts for receiving information. ConclusionPatients are satisfied with information received about diagnosis and treatment, but finances, sexual health, and fertility are less frequently discussed.

Protocol for a scoping review on information needs and information-seeking behaviour of people with dementia and their non-professional caregivers

BackgroundDementia is a debilitating disease that can lead to major changes in a patient’s behaviour and function. It is important to educate both patients with dementia and their non-professional caregivers...

Information needs and information seeking behaviour of patients during follow-up of colorectal cancer in the Netherlands

PurposeAdequately informing patients is considered crucial in cancer care, but need for information and information seeking behaviour of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in the Netherlands are currently not well known.MethodsIn a prospective study, patients participating in a specialty, hospital-based follow-up program completed three consecutive surveys over a 6-month period to analyse their information need and information seeking behaviour.ResultsPatients (n = 259) felt well informed about their treatment (86%), disease (84%), and follow-up program (80%), but less well informed about future expectations (49%), nutrition (43%), recommended physical activity (42%), and heredity of cancer (40%). The need for more information on these subjects remained constant over the first five postoperative years. Patients who were younger, who had undergone chemotherapy, or who had comorbid conditions needed more information on several subjects. One in three patients searched for information themselves, mostly on the Internet. One in four patients consulted a health care provider for information, mostly their GP. Younger and more educated patients more often searched for information themselves, while patients undergoing chemotherapy more often consulted the hospital nurse. Information seeking behaviour remained constant over time.ConclusionsThis study showed where current information provision is perceived as adequate and on which subject improvements can be made. It identifies information seeking behaviour and proposes ways to personalize information provision.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsThe GP is most frequently consulted for information; involving GPs in CRC follow-up could improve information provision on several subjects for several patients.

Information needs and information seeking behaviors of patients and families in acute healthcare settings: a scoping review

The objective of this scoping review was to explore the information needs and information seeking behaviors of patients and families from healthcare providers in acute healthcare settings in existing literature. A well-informed family can be crucial to a patient's capacity to cope with their diagnosis and hospital care during acute or chronic illness. Information is therefore critical to both the patient's and family's understanding of the illness and healthcare process. Providing appropriate and timely information can empower patients and families with knowledge and alleviate the anxiety and stress associated with a hospital admission. However, acutely ill patients and families in different acute care settings have considerable and differing information needs. This scoping review included studies undertaken in acute healthcare facilities where patients were over 18 years of age and family members were of any sex, culture and ethnicity. Family was defined as anyone connected to the patient by blood, marriage or other significant relationship. Healthcare provider perspectives of family and patient information needs were excluded. Concepts related to type of information, timing of information, preferences for who delivers the information and method of information delivery. Qualitative and quantitative study designs published from 2010 to 2017 in English were included. Multiple databases were searched to find published and unpublished studies. A three-step search strategy was utilized. A charting table was developed for the data extraction process to record data relating to the review objectives. Specific data extracted included details on research design, geographical location, year of publication, characteristics of study population, research aims and outcomes as well as key findings related to patient and family information needs. The scoping review included 109 studies from across 34 countries. Of these studies, 68 used quantitative research designs, 29 were qualitative in nature and 12 included studies reported using mixed methods. One study used an action research methodology. Nine studies were specific to family information needs. A majority of studies were conducted in the cancer care context, with other acute settings comprising intensive care units, surgical settings and individual medical or surgical units/wards within and across the hospital. While most of the included studies addressed the type of content patients and/or families prefer, a few studies explored the timing of information provision. The international literature on information needs of patient and families comprises multiple published studies on differing aspects of the topic and situated within various acute care contexts. Despite the broad nature of the research, studies suggest that preferences regarding information content, timing of information delivery and choices regarding who delivers information vary across contexts and according to the patient/family member. The complexity behind this variation and strategies to address tailoring information delivery requires further in-depth research.

The Effect of Patient-Physician Relationship on Health Information Seeking Behavior of Diabetic Patients

The Effect of Patient-Physician Relationship on Health Information Seeking Behavior of Diabetic Patients

Information needs and information seeking behaviors of patients and families in acute healthcare settings: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this scoping review is to explore the information needs and information seeking behaviors of patients and families from healthcare providers in acute healthcare settings.More specifically the review questions are.

The Effect of Contextual Factors on Health Information–Seeking Behavior of Isfahan Diabetic Patients

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to examine the effect of contextual factors on the health information–seeking behavior of diabetic patients in Isfahan. This is an applied study using the survey method. Three hundred sixty-two patients were selected using stratified random sampling. Longo’s information-seeking behavior questionnaire was used to collect data and SPSS 20 software was used to analyze data. Pearson correlation index showed that by controlling age, there was a direct relation between longevity of diagnosis and some information-seeking factors (P < .05, r > 0). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test showed that the average score of some factors of diabetic patient’s information-seeking behavior during pregnancy are significantly higher than patients with prediabetes and diabetes (P < .05). Independent t test showed a statistically significant difference between information-seeking behavior of patients with a family history of diabetes and patients without a family history of diabetes (P < .05). Therefore, due to the importance of health care in diabetic pregnant women and prediabetic patients, necessary steps need to be taken to provide these patients with suitable information sources. Also, investigating the factors affecting health information–seeking behavior of patients with chronic disease will help understand and satisfy their information needs, leading to the improvement of the patients’ self-care and prevent complications.

Face to face information seeking behavior of patients and impact on in-clinic satisfaction

Patients seek health related information from the doctor to seek assurance, to help them to decide on the future course of action, or, for the sake of knowledge. The information seeking behavior of patients is dependent on a number of factors, such as, the doctors' communication style, gender, consultation time, and, direct waiting time, amongst others. This study investigates differences in behavior between information seeking patients and non-information seeking patients in outpatient clinics in India, which is a medically underserved nation. Results show that differences exist in the satisfaction level of information seekers and non-seekers in that the non-seekers were less satisfied. Information-seeking behavior of patients was found to be related to both situational variables and socio-demographic characteristics. Information seeking patients in India were inhibited by the expressive (also known as the controlling style of the doctors). The assumption that Indian women are hesitant to seek information from the doctor is unfounded; more males than females were non-information seekers in the doctor–patient interaction. The research recommends a socio-structural approach to address the health care issues in India.

Evolution of a CDC Public Health Research Agenda for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Men with prostate cancer face difficult choices when selecting a therapy for localized prostate cancer. Comparative data from controlled studies are lacking and clinical opinions diverge about the benefits and harms of treatment options. Consequently, there is limited guidance for patients regarding the impact of treatment decisions on quality of life. There are opportunities for public health to intervene at several decision-making points. Information on typical quality of life outcomes associated with specific prostate cancer treatments could help patients select treatment options. From 2003 to present, the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at CDC has supported projects to explore patient information-seeking behavior post-diagnosis, caregiver and provider involvement in treatment decision making, and patient quality of life following prostate cancer treatment. CDC's work also includes research that explores barriers and facilitators to the presentation of active surveillance as a viable treatment option and promotes equal access to information for men and their caregivers. This article provides an overview of the literature and considerations that initiated establishing a prospective public health research agenda around treatment decision making. Insights gathered from CDC-supported studies are poised to enhance understanding of the process of shared decision making and the influence of patient, caregiver, and provider preferences on the selection of treatment choices. These findings provide guidance about attributes that maximize patient experiences in survivorship, including optimal quality of life and patient and caregiver satisfaction with information, treatment decisions, and subsequent care.

Information seeking behavior of patients with diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study in an outpatient clinic of a university-affiliated hospital in Athens, Greece.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to examine the information behavior of diabetic patients, a relatively unexplored field of diabetes care, including their needs for information, resources used, obstacles encountered and degree of satisfaction for diabetes-related information acquisition.Methods203 patients (males: 110, type 2:172) followed-up in the outpatient Diabetes Clinics of a University-affiliated hospital in Greece were assessed, using a validated questionnaire.ResultsPatients identified diet (61.4%) and diabetic complications (41.9%) as “the most important” for their information needs and the treating physician (94.6%) for information resources. Internet importance and frequency of use ranked low. Main obstacles to information seeking were “lack of time” and “cost”. Most patients (71.4%) stated they were “quite” or “very satisfied” with the current possibilities of information seeking.ConclusionsDiabetic patients’ stated information needs and information sources, as well as main obstacles to obtaining information could potentially have important implications in designing a future information campaign.

Information-seeking behavior of cardiovascular disease patients in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences hospitals.

Background:Patients, as one of the most prominent groups requiring health-based information, encounter numerous problems in order to obtain these pieces of information and apply them. The aim of this study was to determine the information-seeking behavior of cardiovascular patients who were hospitalized in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences hospitals.Materials and Methods:This is a survey research. The population consisted of all patients with cardiovascular disease who were hospitalized in the hospitals of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences during 2012. According to the statistics, the number of patients was 6000. The sample size was determined based on the formula of Cochran; 400 patients were randomly selected. Data were collected by researcher-made questionnaire. Two-level descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used for analysis.Results:The data showed that the awareness of the probability to recover and finding appropriate medical care centers were the most significant informational needs. The practitioners, television, and radio were used more than the other informational resources. Lack of familiarity to medical terminologies and unaccountability of medical staff were the major obstacles faced by the patients to obtain information. The results also showed that there was no significant relationship between the patients’ gender and information-seeking behavior, whereas there was a significant relationship between the demographic features (age, education, place of residence) and information-seeking behavior.Conclusion:Giving information about health to the patients can help them to control their disease. Appropriate methods and ways should be used based on patients’ willingness. Despite the variety of information resources, patients expressed medical staff as the best source for getting health information. Information-seeking behavior of the patients was found to be influenced by different demographic and environmental factors.

A Review of models and theories of health information seeking behavior

One of the ways for preventing diseases is the transfer of health information by educating the patients and encouraging them to search for related information. Knowledge of patient information seeking behavior can provide health and health information experts with valuable information used to improve the patients' health. Although due to the abundance of health information, it is easily possible to prevent some chronic diseases, many people lose their lives or suffer serious complications from these diseases due to lack of knowledge about prevention methods. Therefore informing people about the progress of these diseases and useful prevention methods is of outmost importance. Investigating the patients' information seeking behavior and identifying their information seeking patterns can provide us with useful strategies for effective transfer of information to the patients, thus improving the patients' self-management and prevent progression of their disease. The aim of the current study is to introduce models and theories related to information seeking behavior of patients.

Tales of Time, Terms, and Patient Information-Seeking Behavior—An Exploratory Qualitative Study

This study explores patients' and physicians' perceptions of the use of medical terminology in patient–physician communication. Perceptions of time emerge as an overarching theme and the relationships between perceived time pressures and medical terms are analyzed. Data for this qualitative exploratory study were collected in 28 semistructured interviews with native and nonnative English-speaking physicians and patients. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed in NVivo 8, applying principles from grounded theory. Participants commonly perceived time pressures on consultations. Findings indicate that together, perceived time pressures and medical terminology influence patient participation and the development of rapport in medical encounters. Patient information-seeking behavior was reported to be lower in short, terminology-dense consultations and increased in longer, terminology-sparse consultations. Data suggest that monitoring the use of medical terms in combination with taking time to provide appropriate explanations can function as a partnership-building strategy. Physicians who adopt this strategy could foster better patient–physician relationships and facilitate increased patient information-seeking behavior.

A Survey of Patients' Use of the Internet for Chronic Pain-Related Information

To investigate the use of the Internet as a pain information seeking tool among a population of patients attending a chronic pain clinic. A bespoke self-completing questionnaire was given to 150 patients attending 17 consecutive chronic pain clinics at The Royal Perth Hospital during August and September 2007. One hundred twenty-two completed surveys were received, a response rate of 81%. Only 23.8% of the patients had used the Internet to access pain-related health care information. There was no gender difference between those who did and did not access the Internet for information. Age group, highest educational level attained, and the availability of Internet access were all significantly associated with the use of the Internet to search for pain-related information. 41.4% described the information they found as useful, 6.9% found it frightening and 10.3% found it confusing. Forty-four percent wanted more information to be available on the Internet while only 6.9% planned to discuss their findings with their doctor. When compared with other studies about patient information-seeking behavior, a smaller than expected percentage of patients attending chronic pain clinics in Perth used the Internet to search for information about pain. There are a variety of reasons for this that would suggest that health care professionals should not be complacent but seek to maximize the potential of the Internet to inform our patients by advising them how and where to look for relevant information.

Patient use of treatment-related information received from the cancer information service

This study explored patient information-seeking behavior and how such behavior might affect patient-physician interaction or health-care decisions. Telephone interviews were conducted with 257 patients with cancer and their relatives who called the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS) and who received treatment-related information. Results indicated that these patients were generally very satisfied with communication from their treating physicians, had strong information needs, and preferred to participate in their treatment plans. They sought information from CIS just after diagnosis (49%) or during treatment (31%). Many of these patients (42%) discussed the CIS information with their physicians and 19% of these physicians sought more information or consulted a CIS referral. CIS referrals were contacted personally by 18% of patients. Stepwise discriminant analyses indicated that, compared with patients who did not, patients with either of these outcomes were more stressed by their disease and had been seen at more hospitals. Additionally, patients who shared CIS information with their physicians were also younger and more trusting that their physicians had current knowledge. Patients who themselves contacted a CIS referral were also more educated, had higher information needs, were less satisfied with the clarity of physicians' answers to their questions, called CIS earlier in their illness, and called specifically for a referral. Overall, these patients' most common information needs were for exploring all treatment options and being knowledgeable when discussing treatment plans with physicians. The information received from CIS satisfied these needs and was often communicated to their physicians.

A behavioral measure of AIDS information seeking by drug and alcohol inpatients

A nonreactive, observational research method was used to measure AIDS information-seeking behavior of patients on four drug and alcohol inpatient units at a large public hospital in New York City. Results showed only 23 inquiries from 271 male and female patients over a six-week interval. Possible explanations and implications of these results are discussed.