Consumer Health Information
“Better Information. Better Health.” —WebMD
“Trusted Health Information for You.” —MedlinePlus
Popular health information websites (such as the ones noted above) have consumers logging on to acquire health information. Yet, research shows that many of today’s consumers need assistance searching for information as well as understanding and applying it. Lack of technological expertise, low levels of health literacy, and an inability to distinguish relevant facts are just some of the documented challenges.
As you work through this Discussion, keep in mind that health literacy does not merely imply access to information, but also the capacity to process that information to make informed decisions. In this Discussion, be sure to conceptualize nursing’s roles and responsibilities in assisting patients with web-based information.
References:
WebMD. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/
MedlinePlus. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
To prepare:
- With the information from the Learning Resources in mind (see below), consider the amount and types of health information available to consumers online.
- Reflect on the patients you have encountered in your practice, and consider their health literacy and use of online information.
- Evaluate strategies you could use to educate and assist your patients to appropriately use health information found on the web.
By tomorrow Wednesday 10/18/17 by 5pm, write a minimum of 550 words in APA format with at least 3 references from the list of Required Readings below. Include the level one headings as numbered (1 & 2) below:
post a cohesive response that addresses the following:
1) Synthesize your previous experiences with consumer health literacy in your practice setting.
2) Formulate strategies that you could use to assist patients in interpreting and applying online health information going forward. Include strategies for those patients that overuse medical websites or regularly misinterpret medical information found online.
Required Readings
Course Text: American Nurses Association. (2008). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, MD: Author.
Chapter 16, “Personal Health Record: Managing Personal Health”
This chapter provides an in-depth look at consumer expectations, as well as barriers and innovations that are driving the policies of electronic personal health records.
Adams, S. A. (2010). Blog-based applications and health information: Two case studies that illustrate important questions for Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) research. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 79(6), e89–e96./p>
The author examines existing literature to evaluate the impact that Web 2.0 technologies have on health management.
Keselman, A., Logan, R., Arnott Smith, C., Leroy, G., & Zeng-Treitler, Q. (2008). Developing informatics tools and strategies for consumer-centered health communication. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 15(4), 473–483.
A detailed analysis of present and future barriers found in managing e-health informational resources and consumer communications is given in this article.
Lewis, D. (2007). Evolution of consumer health informatics [Editorial]. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 25(6), 316.
This article gives a brief overview of the Internet’s role in expanding health care’s consumer network.
Misra, R., Mark, J. H., Khan, S., & Kukafka, R. (2010). Using design principles to foster understanding of complex health concepts in consumer informatics tools. AMIA 2010 Symposium Proceedings, 492-496./p>
The researchers in this qualitative study examine the effectiveness that a decision support tool, Tailored Lifestyle Conversations (TLC), has on patients’ ability to comprehend presented information.
Pak, R., Price, M. M., & Thatcher, J. (2009). Age-sensitive design of online health information: Comparative usability study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 11(4), e45.
The authors of this study analyze the usability results of tag-based systems vs. hierarchal informational systems on two different age groups to determine which design allows for more efficient means of information assembly.
Powell, J., Inglis, N., Ronnie, J., & Large, S. (2011). The characteristics and motivations of online health information seekers: Cross-sectional survey and qualitative interview study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1), e20.
View excerpts from the online questionnaires and follow-up interviews used in this study to identify common themes around motivation, challenges, strategies, and benefits regarding individuals’ use of the Internet to gather health information.
Health on the Net Foundation. (2011).
Retrieved from http://www.hon.ch/
Health on the Net Foundation provides consumers with navigation safety tips and the ability to search only those websites that adhere to the credibility standards of the HONcode.
The PEW Charitable Trusts. (2011). Health.
Retrieved from http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_category.aspx?id=184
At this website you can find information about the consumer-centered health initiatives that the PEW group is working to challenge and improve.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2011). Publications and research. Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications.html
Use this website to view a wide variety of research-driven publications with topics ranging from obesity to medical malpractice.
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