Source Of Health-related Information Research Articles

The “New Public” and the “Good Ol’ Press”: Evaluating Online News Sources During the 2013 Polio Outbreak in Israel

ABSTRACTThe current research focuses on the 2013 polio outbreak in Israel as a case study to analyze the sources of information used in new media platforms, examining whether the new media have changed the ways in which we communicate about health issues. Specifically, we tracked and coded polio-related references on Hebrew news websites, blogs, forums, and Facebook posts. Overall, 24,388 polio-related references constituted our sampling frame. The findings suggest that there is a moderate-level correlation between the platform and the type of sources chosen by users. Beyond the differences between various platforms, we found that online information platforms rely not only on popular or pseudoscientific sources, but also on high-quality information. In fact, the analysis indicates that online news websites, forums, blogs, and Facebook posts create a unique blend of information, including scientific literature, medical professionals, and government representatives, as well as pseudoscientific research. These findings suggest a more optimistic view of the Internet as a source for health-related information in times of crises. Although the fact that members of the public are exposed to scientific sources does not indicate to what degree this affects their actual decision making. Exposure to a wider variety of sources may enhance health literacy, resulting in a better understanding of information needed to make informed decisions.

EHealth literacy among undergraduate nursing students

BackgroundThe Internet has become a major source of health related information. Nursing students, as future healthcare providers, should be skilled in locating, using and evaluating online health information. AimThe main purpose of this study was to assess eHealth literacy among nursing students in Jordan, as well as to explore factors associated with eHealth literacy. MethodsA descriptive cross sectional survey was conducted in two universities in Jordan, one public and one private. A total of 541 students completed the eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS). Some additional personal and demographical variables were collected to explore their relation to eHealth literacy. ResultsStudents have a moderate self-perceived level of eHealth literacy (M=3.62, SD=0.58). They are aware of the available online health resources and know how to search, locate, and use these resources. Yet, they lack skills to evaluate them and cannot differentiate between high and low quality resources. Factors that are related to eHealth literacy include type of university, type of student admission, academic level, students' internet skills, and their perception of the usefulness and importance of the internet. On the other hand, age, gender, grade point average (GPA), and frequency of internet use were found not to significantly affect eHealth literacy. ConclusionThis study represents a baseline reference for eHealth literacy in Jordan. Students have some of the necessary skills, while others still need to be improved. Nursing educators and administrators should incorporate eHealth literacy skills into the curriculum.

A Study to evaluate the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Program regarding Prevention of Renal Calculi in Terms of Knowledge and Dietary Pattern of Primary School Teachers of Moodabidri, Dakshina Kannada District

ABSTRACT Introduction A renal calculus is a painful condition. Renal calculi occur in up to 15% population. The incidence of calculi is 100 to 400 out of 1,00,000 people from a renal calculi every year. Dietary practice of the individuals has a direct influence over the stone formation. Change in dietary habits and lifestyle are suggested to contribute markedly to the rise in the prevalence and incidence of urolithiasis. Materials and methods An evaluative approach with one group pretest design was adopted in order to evaluate effectiveness of planned teaching program on prevention of renal calculi and dietary practice among primary school teachers in Moodbidri. The conceptual framework adopted for the study was based on modified Rosen stocks health belief model. Convenient sampling was used to select the sample for the study. Data collected from the sample were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The final sample size was 70. Results Majority of samples belonged to age group 20 to 30 years (54.28%), female (62.85%), D. Ed. students (64.28%), married (60%), hindu background (62.85%), teaching experience below 10 years (65.71%), source of health-related information by books (48.57%) and mixed diet (61.42%). There was significant difference between pretest and post- test knowledge scores (t69 = 36.46, p < 0.05 significant) There was no significant association between pretest knowledge and selected demographic variables age (x2 = 1.33, p > 0.05), sex (x2 = 0.568, p > 0.05), religion (x2 = 0.843, p > 0.05), diet (x2 = 0.003, p > 0.05). There was a significant difference between pretest and posttest dietary practice scores (t69 = 32.27, p < 0.05, significant). Conclusion The findings of the study show that the planned teaching program was effective in all the areas in improving the knowledge and dietary practice of primary school teachers and, thus, reduced complication. It also helped them to take self responsibility for their own health. How to cite this article Soni GP. A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Program Regarding Prevention of Renal Calculi in Terms of Knowledge and Dietary Pattern of Primary School Teachers of Moodabidri, Dakshina Kannada District. J Mahatma Gandhi Univ Med Sci Tech 2016;1(2):55-57.

Assessing the Quality of the Israeli Alzheimer's Association Website: An Evaluation of Lay Persons, Family Caregivers and Professionals

The Internet is increasingly used as a source for health-related information in general and for information about memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) particularly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the Israeli Alzheimer's Association website. A convenience sample of 62 lay persons, 28 family caregivers and 27 professionals assessed the quality and content of the website using a structured questionnaire. Based on DISCERN scores, the quality of the website was rated as modest. Better scores were obtained regarding its accountability and aesthetics. About content, participants reported that appropriate information was present regarding the characteristics of the disease, its stages and symptoms. Information regarding prevention and treatment issues was poorer. No differences were found between the scores obtained from the different groups of users. The official website of the Israeli Alzheimer's Association provides accurate and responsible information to potential consumers of information regarding AD.

Readiness of Diabetics to Use the Internet and Mobile Services: The Case of a Large City in a Middle-income Country

Objective: To determine the potential of providing health-related services on the Internet or via mobile phones to diabetic patients in a large city in Iran, a middle-income country. Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing worldwide, especially in developing countries, as a consequence of urbanisation, which is associated with risk factors for diabetes such as physical inactivity and high sugar and fat diets. The use of the Internet and mobile services is increasing worldwide. Independent use of the Internet and mobile technologies by patients could be a key step towards self-care management of DM. Methods: A two-part validated questionnaire was completed by patients who attended one of two diabetic clinics for a routine check-up. The first part consisted of 16 demographic-related items. The second part contained 26 items about the specific use of the Internet and mobile services to access information. Results: In total, 407 questionnaires were completed. The results showed that 108 (26.5%) of the respondents had routine access to the Internet, of which 95.4% had routine access to mobile services and 77.8% were positive about using an official Iranian website for medical information. However, 55% of the respondents preferred to obtain health-related information from television, radio, and educational films. Conclusions: The data suggest that the diabetic patients who used the Internet in this study were willing to receive educational material via the Internet. However, many still preferred traditional sources of health-related information. The findings indicated that our future effort in self-care management should focus on early technology adopters to increase the penetration rate of technology in the field of health care.

Seeking health information and support online: does it differ as a function of engagement in risky health behaviors? Evidence from the health information national trends survey.

BackgroundThe Internet is an important tool to deliver health behavior interventions, yet little is known about Internet access and use of health-related information, or support, by the intended intervention recipients.ObjectiveOur aim was to evaluate whether health-related Internet use differed as a function of common health-risk behaviors (excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, low fruit/vegetable intake, inactive/sedentary lifestyle, unprotected sun exposure, or obesity).MethodsSociodemographic, health behavior characteristics, and information on Internet access and use were assessed in the nationally representative US Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4. Data from 3911 participants collated in 2011/12 were included.ResultsOf the 78.2% (95% CI 76.1-80.1) of participants who had ever accessed the Internet, approximately three-quarters (78.2%, 95% CI 75.4-80.7) had obtained health-related information online last year. About half had used the Internet as the first source of health-related information (47.8%, 95% CI 44.8-50.7) or to access behavioral support (56.9%, 95% CI 53.7-60.0) in the last year. Adjusting for sociodemographic determinants of going online (being younger, white, female, with at least college education) revealed few differences in Internet access and use between health-risk behaviors. Participants with inadequate sun protection were less likely to access the Internet (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.04-0.88) and those with low fruit/vegetable intake were less likely to have gone online to obtain health-related information last year (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.80). Smokers in particular were likely to use the Internet to obtain behavioral support (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.35-2.68).ConclusionsInternet access and use to obtain health-related information and support is widespread and mostly independent of engagement in various health-risk behaviors. However, those with low fruit/vegetable intake or inadequate sun-protective behaviors may be more difficult to reach with Internet-based interventions. In addition, when developing online health promotions, relevant sociodemographic determinants of Internet use need to be targeted to maximize their impact.

Survey of Internet Use as a Source of Health-Related Information in Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia

Purpose : To estimate the proportion of patients in Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia, who use the Internet to search for health-related information, determine barriers to Internet use, and investigate the relationship between Internet use and socio-demographic variables. Methods : A total of 377 questionnaires were distributed to five main hospitals in Qassim Province (Saudi Arabia). The patients were randomly selected to complete the survey when they arrived to fill their pharmacy prescription. The survey was explained to the patients, and they were given the option to participate or decline. Results : Fifteen percent of the respondents used the Internet as a source of health-related information, especially disease-specific information (97.7 %). Thirty percent used the Internet after a recommendation from their health-care provider. The highest proportions of respondents indicated that lack of training and the cost of Internet access were major barriers to Internet use. There was a significant association between Internet use and education level (p = 0.002). Conclusion : Compared with published data for Qassim City, Saudi Arabia, Internet use to obtain health-related information is relatively low in the Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia. Lack of training is the most common barrier. Keywords : Health information, Barriers, Internet use, Patient and internet, Saudi Arabia

Journal Club: Twitter as a source of vaccination information: Content drivers and what they're saying

This Journal Club reviews a study on the use of Twitter as a source of health-related information.

Evaluating internet information on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment: Parent and expert perspectives

The Internet is increasingly used as a source of health-related information. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of web-based information on treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sixteen expert health professionals in ADHD and 35 parents of paediatric patients with a recent diagnosis of ADHD assessed the information contained in the 10 highest ranked websites in Spanish, using the Spanish version of the DISCERN tool - a validated questionnaire designed to assess the quality and reliability of web-based information on treatment choices (rating scores from 15 to 75). DISCERN scores given by parents and experts were low (total mean scores [standard deviation]: 35.9 [13.1] and 43.4 [13.7], respectively) and inter-rater agreement was poor/moderate (weighted kappa for the global assessment between -0.69 and +0.93, average = 0.29). There was a significant change on the ADHD-knowledge and motivation for treatment (ADHD-KMT) basic knowledge sub-scale score after the assessment of the different websites by parents (total mean scores [standard deviation]: 49.09 [9.46] and 63.21 [9.45]). Despite a poor/moderate inter-rater agreement between parent and expert opinions, all agreed that the quality of the web-based information on treatment choices for ADHD is generally poor.

Internet use by the public to search for health-related information

BackgroundThe use of the Internet to search for health-related information (HRI) has become a common practice worldwide. Our literature review failed to find any evidence of previous studies on this topic from Saudi Arabia. ObjectiveTo determine the public use of the Internet in Saudi Arabia to search for HRI and to evaluate patients’ perceptions of the quality of the information available on the Internet compared to that provided by their health care providers. MethodsA self-administered questionnaire about Internet use to search for HRI was distributed randomly to male and female outpatients and visitors attending a public University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from January to May 2010. A Chi-squared test was used to assess the association between different categorical variables. Multiple logistic regression was used to relate the use of the Internet to search for HRI with various socio-demographic variables. ResultsThe questionnaire response was 80.1%, with completion of 801 of the 1000 distributed questionnaires; 50% (400/801) of respondents were males. The mean age of respondents was 32±11 years. The majority of respondents used the Internet in general (87.8%), and 58.4% of them (363/622) used the Internet to search for HRI. The majority stated a doctor was their primary source of HRI (89.3%, 654/732). This practice was considered useful by 84.2%, and the main reason behind it was sheer curiosity (92.7%, 418/451). Other reasons included not getting enough information from their doctor (58.5%, 227/413) and not trusting the information given by their doctor (28.2%, 101/443). Forty-four percent (205/466) searched for HRI before coming to the clinic; 72.5% of those discussed the information with their doctors and 71.7% (119/166) of those who did so believed that this positively affected their relationship with their doctor. Searching the Internet for health information was observed more frequently among the 30–39 year age group (OR=2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.7), females (OR=3.8, 95% CI 2.3–6.4), individuals with university or higher education (OR=1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.8), employed individuals (OR=2.7, 95% CI 1.4–4.9) and high income groups (OR=2.8, 95% CI 1.5–5.1). ConclusionsA proportion of the public searches the Internet to obtain HRI for various reasons, which could have consequences on their health and relationship with their doctors. Therefore, doctors should be aware of the health information available online to help guide patients to reliable websites. Health authorities should also be aware of the issue to offer regulations and solutions.

Incentives and barriers to neurological clinical research participation

BACKGROUND: Understanding barriers and incentives to neurological research participation may improve clinical trial enrollment. RESULTS: Telephone-based focus groups were conducted with four neurological disorder patient groups (n = 22) and one caregiver group (n = 6). A total of 14 neurologists and neurosurgeons participated in structured interviews. Topics discussed included identifying ways in which health information is gathered and attitudes toward participation in medical research. Interestingly, 86% of physicians interviewed have referred patients to clinical trials and 82% of patients expressed interest in clinical trials participation. Patients cited their primary physician as the best source of health-related information, including information about clinical trials. Barriers to patients and physicians regarding clinical trials participation included compensation. Patients expressed concern about increased visit frequency and required treatment changes. CONCLUSION: Patients are willing to participate in clinical trials and physicians are willing to refer patients for participation with appropriate compensation for their time and sensitivity to change in care.

The devil you know: parents seeking information online for paediatric cancer

There is a growing interest in understanding the effect that online information-seeking has on patients' experiences, empowerment and interactions with healthcare providers. This mixed-methods study combines surveys and in-depth interviews with 41 parents of paediatric cancer patients in the USA to examine how parents think about, evaluate, access and use the internet to seek information related to their child's cancer. We find that, during the acute crisis of a child being diagnosed with cancer, parents preferred to receive information related to their child's diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options from a trusted healthcare provider rather than through the internet. We find that access to medically related cancer information through the internet was deemed to be untrustworthy and frightening. Parents' reasons for avoiding online information-seeking included fear of what they might find out, uncertainty about the accuracy of information online, being overloaded by the volume of information online and having been told not to go online by oncologists. Some parents also had logistical barriers to accessing the internet. While most parents did not turn to the internet as a source of health-related information, many did use it to connect with sources of social support throughout their child's illness.

Surfing for mouth guards: assessing quality of online information

The Internet is an easily accessible and commonly used source of health-related information, but evaluations of the quality of this information within the dental trauma field are still lacking. The aims of this study are (i) to present the most current scientific knowledge regarding mouth guards used in sport activities, (ii) to suggest a scoring system to evaluate the quality of information pertaining to mouth guard protection related to World Wide Web sites and (iii) to employ this scoring system when seeking reliable mouth guard-related websites. First, an Internet search using the keywords 'athletic injuries/prevention and control' and 'mouth protector' or 'mouth guards' in English was performed on PubMed, Cochrane, SvedMed+ and Web of Science to identify scientific knowledge about mouth guards. Second, an Internet search using the keywords 'consumer health information Internet', 'Internet information public health' and 'web usage-seeking behaviour' was performed on PubMed and Web of Science to obtain scientific articles seeking to evaluate the quality of health information on the Web. Based on the articles found in the second search, two scoring systems were selected. Then, an Internet search using the keywords 'mouth protector', 'mouth guards' and 'gum shields' in English was performed on the search engines Google, MSN and Yahoo. The websites selected were evaluated for reliability and accuracy. Of the 223 websites retrieved, 39 were designated valid and evaluated. Nine sites scored 22 or higher. The mean total score of the 39 websites was 14.2. Fourteen websites scored higher than the mean total score, and 25 websites scored less. The highest total score, presented by a Public Institution Web site (Health Canada), was 31 from a maximum possible score of 34, and the lowest score was 0. This study shows that there is a high amount of information about mouth guards on the Internet but that the quality of this information varies. It should be the responsibility of health care professionals to suggest and provide reliable Internet URL addresses to patients. In addition, an appropriate search terminology and search strategy should be made available to persons who want to search beyond the recommended sites.

Is the information available on the Web influencing the way parents see ENT surgical procedures?

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: the Internet is the world's fastest growing source of health related information. Parents and guardians are increasingly turning to the Internet for information about their children's medical conditions and treatments. This paper has the following objectives 1) determine the prevalence of web searches for medical information performed by parents/guardians of children undergoing ENT surgery in a private hospital of Sao Paulo, Brazil. 2) assess whether the gathered information influenced the parents/guardians' decision on the treatment/surgery. METHOD: questionnaire voluntarily responded by 132 parents/guardians of children submitted to ENT surgery in a private hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: 117 parents/guardians (90%) used the Internet to search for information on the disease and surgical treatment of the children. Only 12 parents/guardians (10%) discussed the information with the physician assigned to perform the surgical procedure. 91 parents/guardians (78%) said that the information had impact upon the decision to have surgery performed on their children.

Is the information available on the Web influencing the way parents see ENT surgical procedures?

SummaryIntroduction and Aims: the Internet is the world's fastest growing source of health related information. Parents and guardians are increasingly turning to the Internet for information about their children's medical conditions and treatments. This paper has the following objectives 1) determine the prevalence of web searches for medical information performed by parents/guardians of children undergoing ENT surgery in a private hospital of Sao Paulo, Brazil. 2) assess whether the gathered information influenced the parents/guardians' decision on the treatment/surgery.Methodquestionnaire voluntarily responded by 132 parents/guardians of children submitted to ENT surgery in a private hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Conclusions117 parents/guardians (90%) used the Internet to search for information on the disease and surgical treatment of the children. Only 12 parents/guardians (10%) discussed the information with the physician assigned to perform the surgical procedure. 91 parents/guardians (78%) said that the information had impact upon the decision to have surgery performed on their children.

The impact of the internet on the practice of general practitioners and community pharmacists in Northern Ireland

The objective of this study was to gain an insight into the use of the internet for practice-related purposes by community pharmacists and general practitioners (GPs) in Northern Ireland, and to gather information about their experiences relating to patients and the internet. A postal questionnaire survey of all community pharmacies (n=522) and all GPs practising in Northern Ireland (n=1081). A total of 542 completed questionnaires were returned, giving an overall response rate of 34%. The majority of respondents had access to the internet in their workplace, and approximately 60% of respondents in each profession accessed health-related websites on up to five occasions per week. Of those who did not access health-related websites, lack of time was the main reason cited. The most popular sites for both professions were online journals. Significant differences were found in the activities undertaken by the two professions whilst online. Significantly more GPs than community pharmacists reported searching for disease-related (non-drug) information, using web-based disease management tools or reading online journal articles. Few respondents reported recommending websites to patients, although significantly more GPs than pharmacists did so. Significantly more pharmacists had been approached or felt challenged by patients who had downloaded information from the internet. GPs were more likely to communicate with colleagues about patients by email but neither profession reported frequent correspondence with patients by email. Both professions used the internet regularly as a source of health-related information and both had to deal with 'internet-informed', (or sometimes misinformed) patients. Community pharmacists were more likely to feel challenged by these patients and GPs sometimes had to deal with unnecessarily worried patients or patients with unrealistic expectations. Both professions will have to change working practices to accommodate the impact of the internet. This will have significant future training implications.

Use and perception of Internet for health related purposes in Germany: results of a national survey

Patient empowerment through the Internet is seen as a chance to improve patient-physician communication. Studies on the prevalence of Internet use for health related purposes and on how patients perceive those technologies are still rare. We therefore studied perception of and trends in health related Internet use. As part of a European survey 1.000 German individuals were interviewed using a computer-based telephone interview (CATI: Gabler-Hider-Design, random-digit-dialing, last birthday method) in October 2005. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were applied for elaborating characteristics of the health Internet users. Internet use in general (72.3%) and for health related purposes (53.1%) is already quite high. Its importance, relative to other sources of health related information, was rated rather low. Younger citizens and people with paid work used the Internet more often for health related purposes, nevertheless, assessing it as less important for health related purposes than their counterparts. Despite booming of Internet use in Germany, consumers still value and use more the traditional sources of health information/communication with their doctors. Followup studies with a subsequent survey in 2007 will be pursued.

Perceptions of Health Among Immigrant Latino Adolescents From Mexico

This ethnographic study describes the health-related perceptions of immigrant Latino adolescents from Mexico. Fourteen adolescents, purposively recruited from two non-health-based community settings, participated. Each was interviewed twice and completed a visual narrative project using disposable cameras. Audiotaped transcripts and photographs were inductively analyzed. Being healthy is holistically perceived by these adolescents and includes physical, mental, spiritual, social, and environmental factors. Pictures portrayed healthy and unhealthy influences and behaviors, including eating habits, exercise, self-care, relationships, garbage, and pollution. Personal responsibility was important in being healthy and in promoting one's health. Family was identified as an important source of health-related information. Nurses recognizing the holistic, comprehensive health-related perceptions of immigrant Latino adolescents can promote their health and design culturally and developmentally appropriate educational strategies and health interventions aimed at eliminating health disparities.

20 Follow-Up after a Paediatric Emergency Department Visit – Telephone versus Electronic Mail

The Internet has become an unlimited source of health related information and revolutionised health information access by parents. Follow-up after an Emergency Department (ED) visit is important for continuity of care, monitoring changes in patient health and for informing patients of test results taken during their visit. We conducted this study to determine if electronic main (e-mail) would be better than phone for follow-up. During two months, research assistants recruited parents of children being discharged from a large tertiary ED in Toronto, Ontario, that have a personal e-mail account and a personal telephone line. Parents were randomized to e-mail or phone follow-up, that included two questions. Parents not replying to the e-mail were contacted via telephone after 10 days. The main outcome measure was the response rate. Data was collected on Microsoft Excel and statistical analyses used SPSS for calculation of response rate and comparisons between the phone and e-mail groups. A total of 337 families were approached. Two hundred and sixty five (79%) had Internet access, personal e-mail and telephone line available and 75% of them check e-mails at least once a day. A total of 198 families were randomized for a follow-up. Of 98 families, 85 (87%) were reached by phone within average of 17 hours (range 0–98). Of 100 families contacted via e-mail only 53 (53%) responded in a mean of 46 hours (range 0–242) (p<0.0005). Ten (10%) of the e-mails “bounced back”. Of the parents in the e-mail group that had received the e-mail and did not respond 21 (57%) did not check the e-mail, did not remember reading the e-mail or had problems with e-mail access, 1 (3%) did not have time to respond and 15 (40%) were not reached even by phone. E-mail failed to be better than phone in reaching families for follow-up after a Paediatric ED visit. It could be used for non-urgent messages by about half of our patient population that can access the Internet.

Differences in African American and White College Students' Drinking Behaviors: Consequences, Harm Reduction Strategies, and Health Information Sources

The authors explored the differences between African American and White college students' drinking behaviors and their attitudes toward consequences, harm-reduction strategies, and health information sources. They collected data from a randomly selected sample of 1,110 students in a large public university to examine the effects of a high-risk drinking prevention intervention. In the current analysis, they compared African American and White students on indicators of high-risk drinking, drinking consequences, harm-reduction strategies, the sources that students typically used for health information, and the believability of those sources. The African American students scored lower on drinking measures than the White students did, reported fewer negative consequences, and more regularly employed drinking-reduction strategies, with one exception-choosing a designated driver. Both African and White respondents reported that their parents were their most frequent and usual sources of health-related information and said that parents and health professionals were the most credible sources.