Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?

<br><b>Introduction.</b> People living in rural areas may face specific barriers to finding useful health-related information, and their use of information may differ from their urban counterparts. <br><b>Method.</b> This random-digit dial telephone survey of 25...

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Main Authors: Roma M. Harris, C. Nadine Wathen, Jana M. Fear
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Borås 2006-01-01
Series:Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://informationr.net/ir/12-1/paper274.html
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author Roma M. Harris
C. Nadine Wathen
Jana M. Fear
author_facet Roma M. Harris
C. Nadine Wathen
Jana M. Fear
author_sort Roma M. Harris
collection DOAJ
description <br><b>Introduction.</b> People living in rural areas may face specific barriers to finding useful health-related information, and their use of information may differ from their urban counterparts. <br><b>Method.</b> This random-digit dial telephone survey of 253 people (75% female) living in a rural, medically under-serviced area of Ontario, Canada, follows-up a previous interview study to examine with a larger sample issues related to searching for and using health information. <br><b>Analysis.</b> Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and the distribution of responses to each question. Sex differences on key questions were analysed using the Chi-squared test. <br><b>Results.</b> Respondents were as likely to find information on the Internet as from doctors, although several reported that they had no access to these resources. Many of those surveyed used the information they found to look after themselves or someone else, to decide whether to seek assistance from a professional health care provider, and/or to make treatment decisions. Echoing results from other studies, a significant proportion of women reported that they did not discuss the information they'd found with a doctor. <br><b>Conclusion.</b> . These findings have implications for Canadian government health policy, particularly the use of e-health strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-7383a9f66473434abc059c68a645bf252025-02-02T20:44:41ZengUniversity of BoråsInformation Research: An International Electronic Journal1368-16132006-01-01121274Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?Roma M. HarrisC. Nadine WathenJana M. Fear<br><b>Introduction.</b> People living in rural areas may face specific barriers to finding useful health-related information, and their use of information may differ from their urban counterparts. <br><b>Method.</b> This random-digit dial telephone survey of 253 people (75% female) living in a rural, medically under-serviced area of Ontario, Canada, follows-up a previous interview study to examine with a larger sample issues related to searching for and using health information. <br><b>Analysis.</b> Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and the distribution of responses to each question. Sex differences on key questions were analysed using the Chi-squared test. <br><b>Results.</b> Respondents were as likely to find information on the Internet as from doctors, although several reported that they had no access to these resources. Many of those surveyed used the information they found to look after themselves or someone else, to decide whether to seek assistance from a professional health care provider, and/or to make treatment decisions. Echoing results from other studies, a significant proportion of women reported that they did not discuss the information they'd found with a doctor. <br><b>Conclusion.</b> . These findings have implications for Canadian government health policy, particularly the use of e-health strategies.http://informationr.net/ir/12-1/paper274.htmlSearching for health information in rural Canada
spellingShingle Roma M. Harris
C. Nadine Wathen
Jana M. Fear
Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
Searching for health information in rural Canada
title Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?
title_full Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?
title_fullStr Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?
title_full_unstemmed Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?
title_short Searching for health information in rural Canada. Where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it?
title_sort searching for health information in rural canada where do residents look for health information and what do they do when they find it
topic Searching for health information in rural Canada
url http://informationr.net/ir/12-1/paper274.html
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AT janamfear searchingforhealthinformationinruralcanadawheredoresidentslookforhealthinformationandwhatdotheydowhentheyfindit