An Exploration of Search Patterns and Credibility Issues among Older Adults Seeking Online Health Information

Abstract

The Internet is an important resource for health information, among younger and older people alike. Unfortunately, there are limitations associated with online health information. Research is needed on the quality of information found online and on whether users are being critical consumers of the information they find. Also, there is a need for research investigating online use among adults aged 65 and over - a rapidly growing demographic of Internet users. The current study presents important descriptive data about the search patterns of older adults seeking online health information, the types of health topics they research, and whether they consider credibility issues when retrieving online health information. A comparison is also made between search strategies used in printed text and hypertext environments. The results, which have implications with respect to credibility issues, highlight the need to increase awareness about critical searching skills among older adult Internet users.

Silver Surfers Search for Gold: a Study Into the Online Information-Seeking Skills of Those Over Fifty

“…Most literature (Aula 2005;Kuiper et al 2008;Quintana et al 2012;Rasmusson and Eklund 2013;Ruthven 2010;and Waller 2011) for example, suggests that the best results are presented to search engine users who first categorise or consider their intent, or the type of information they are seeking. Similar habits were attributed to good online searchers by Robertson-Lang et al (2011) andSinger et al (2012) who reported that, time spent before the search itself was time well spent (2011).…”

“…These skills require web evaluation and are likewise found to be lacking in many senior surfers. In their 2011 quantitative study, Robertson-Lang, Major and Hemming uncovered a Bcertain level of naivety among older adults who stated that because [the information] was on the Internet it must be credible^ (Robertson-Lang et al 2011). Failure recognising that many, if not most, sites online have commercial gain as their primary incentive is particularly upsetting among this age group who most commonly turn to the World Wide Web for health related answers (Robertson-Lang et al 2011).…”

“…For, despite all the hitherto hindrances, studies continually find that Bolder adults report less anxiety, and increased confidence and self-efficacy about online searching when they are given Internet training^ (Robertson-Lang et al 2011). Though existing research pertaining to senior-friendly training programs vary widely in methodology from quantitative to qualitative studies, and mixed methods approaches, some common suggestions regarding effective training can be established within the literature.…”

“…Such use should be celebrated given the myriad of benefits consistently attributed to computer use among this cohort, be them social, physical, or psychological. More than just Bcontributing to a sense of well-being and empowerment^ (Robertson-Lang et al 2011), computer use is credited with assisting one's adjustment to ageing, providing mental stimulation (Jun and Evans 2007), improving confidence, cognitive abilities and social connectedness, and reducing depression, isolation (Blaschke et al 2009) and fear of technology. Of more interest to this paper, however, are the benefits reported regarding training those over fifty specifically in internet-based technologies like search engines and how to maximise these benefits.…”

What makes online health information credible for older adults?

“…Previous research argues that the difference in credibility concerns with online resources among age groups is derived from various audience factors, such as media reliance, previous knowledge, experiences and familiarity with Internet technology, general assumptions, etc. [5][6][7]. However, the fact that they have more concerns with credibility issues does not necessarily mean that they are able to seek out indicators of credibility when exploring a website [7].…”