Health Information and Libraries Journal最新文献

Background: Increasingly, libraries buy medical monographs as ebooks, but that may not be what medical students and residents want. Some studies have shown that they prefer print books for some types of reading. On the other hand, for participants in distributed medical programs, ebooks are more accessible.

Objectives: To determine whether medical students and residents at an institution with a distributed medical education program prefer medical ebooks or print books.

Methods: In February 2019, 844 medical students and residents were invited to complete an online questionnaire on their format preferences.

Results: Two hundred thirty-two students and residents responded. Most preferred electronic format for reading a few pages, but print for entire books. Respondents preferred ebooks because they were immediately available, searchable and could be used on the go, and print books because they strained users' eyes less, facilitated absorption of the text and could be held in users' hands. The location of respondents and year of study had little effect on responses.

Discussion: Libraries should consider buying quick reference and large, heavy textbooks as ebooks and pocket-sized or shorter, single-topic titles, in print format.

Conclusions: Libraries have a responsibility to make both print and ebooks available to their users.

Background: Despite numerous quantitative findings on online health information seeking, little is known about the process of online health information seeking itself.

Objectives: The study aimed to learn about how adults search for health information online, whether Macias et al.'s Online Health Searcher Typology applies to a broader, non-university sample, and to better identify and understand online health searchers by employing the Patient Health Engagement (PHE) model.

Methods: This study examined the role of engagement in online health information search processes using think-aloud qualitative interviews with 11 participants in their 30s to 70s. The research applied both thematic analysis and a quantitative coding scheme based on the PHE model to analyse the qualitative data that consists of 500 pages of think-aloud verbatim transcripts.

Results: This study found that four (flounderer, skimmer, digester and devourer) out of five types emerged as distinct search styles. Insights into engagement helped distinguish online health searcher types in this sample.

Conclusion: The dynamics of the engagement dimension indicate that the online health information search process is multi-dimensional. It is comprised of different levels of cognitive, emotional, and conative responses, further extending the PHE model. Health science librarians and health professionals have a unique opportunity to help individuals better navigate online health search.

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.

From the point of view of the development of libraries, technology has made possible the emergence and development of library automation; digital libraries; mobile libraries; and smart libraries. This article briefly describes the impact of technological developments and application in Health Science Libraries in China in relation to collections development, service provision and the role of library associations.

Background: Information is critical for patients having to decide about the best treatment option, and an in-depth understanding of their information behaviour can help health and information services to improve and facilitate their access to reliable information.

Objective: To investigate the health information-seeking behaviour and information sources and their roles in decision making among breast cancer patients in Romania in the context of the surgical treatment.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 patients who were treated surgically for breast cancer at the Bucharest Oncology Institute.

Results: Most participants searched for information independently, before and after the operation, and their information needs evolved during the progression of their disease. The surgeon was regarded as the most trusted source of information. Most patients adopted a paternalistic or a shared approach for decision making.

Discussion: Besides findings consistent with research from other countries, our study also revealed findings in contrast to previous research. None of the interviewed patients made any reference to the library as a source of information even if books were mentioned.

Conclusions: Health information specialists should develop a detailed guide and online information services to help physicians and other health professionals to provide relevant and reliable health care information to surgical inpatients from Romania.

Background: Consumer health libraries connect communities to reliable and accurate health information while Little Free Libraries (LFL) provide communities globally with access to free books with a 'take one leave one' type policy.

Objectives: To discuss how medical librarians used already established LFLs as outreach opportunities to provide consumer health books to rural locations in East Tennessee's Appalachia region in the United States.

Methods: Researchers reviewed the population's literacy levels, the Index of Medical Underservice scores, and the availability of established LFLs. Twenty-two established LFL locations were selected and one new LFL was built for an eye clinic. Eleven health books were purchased for each established LFL, and 33 books were purchased for the new LFL.

Results: Researchers went back to each location 5 months after delivery. 90% of the books were taken from the already established LFLs. Ten books were taken from the new LFL.

Discussion: Using already established LFLs is a great opportunity to provide relevant health information to rural communities. The new LFL allowed for a partnership between the library and a rural eye clinic.

Conclusion: By distributing health books to already established LFLs, researchers brought relevant health information books to rural and medically underserved communities.

Background: As more people across Generations X, Y, and Z continue to use the Internet meet their information needs, this study assesses the characteristics influencing the online health information seeking behaviour (OHISB) of non-medical university students. Previous studies on the subject in Nigeria have largely assessed the concept of OHISB among university students without examining the determinants of such behaviour.

Objective: To determine the predictors of OHISB among non-medical undergraduate students of a Nigerian private university.

Methods: Adopting a cross-sectional research design, the study utilized a semi-structured questionnaire administered via Google forms. Some 361 non-medical undergraduate students were recruited purposively with a response rate of 84.2%. The questionnaire obtained data on students' socio-demographics, Internet usage, and OHISB.

Results: Presence of a chronic condition, gender, and college showed significant associations with students' OHISB. 'Mothers' occupation' and 'prior experience' became significant predictors of students' OHISB.

Discussion: The results align with studies that stressed that chronically ill persons would search for health information on the internet and that presence of chronic illness is among the predictors of OHISB.

Conclusion: These findings add to evidence from other countries that had identified health literacy and presence of chronic illness as significant predictors of OHISB among students.

Background: Bibliometric methods may be used to examine research trends, and information visualisation techniques are useful in illustrating the diffusion of knowledge and how theories are applied.

Objectives: The present study aimed to illustrate how Orem's Self-Care Deficiency Nursing Theory (SCDNT) has been cited and applied in nursing science and beyond.

Methods: A bibliometric analysis examined scientific publications that cited Orem's nursing theory. In addition, the diffusion of SCDNT was assessed using data visualisation methods and integration scores of SCDNT versions were calculated to define trends in its theoretical usage in other scientific domains.

Results: The information visualisation demonstrated increased usage of SCDTN in different disciplines. Integration scores demonstrated that the scientific community still recognises and uses versions of SCDTN.

Discussion: Studying citation patterns helps to identify which publications are still cited and relevant, as well as illustrating the dissemination of theory. Findings may be used in the collection weeding of SCDTN book versions.

Conclusions: Findings provided nursing scientists with a better conceptual understanding of SCDNT diffusion and development. For academic library managers, the findings identify which SCDNT should be retained for historical interest and curriculum needs.