Health Information Seeking, Receipt, and Use in Diabetes Self-Management

Abstract

PURPOSE Diabetes self-management is essential for diabetes control, yet little is known about patient preferences for sources of health information or about the extent to which information is sought directly or received passively through various media sources. The aim of this qualitative study was to identify how individuals with diabetes seek and use health care information. METHODSUsing a health information model to guide our research, we conducted 9 focus groups with 46 adults with a diagnosis of diabetes and then analyzed the transcripts and notes from these focus groups.RESULTS Five themes emerged: (1) passive receipt of health information about diabetes is an important aspect of health information behavior; (2) patients weave their own information web depending on their disease trajectory; (3) patients' personal relationships help them understand and use this information; (4) a relationship with a health care professional is needed to cope with complicated and sometimes confl icting information; and (5) health literacy makes a difference in patients' ability to understand and use information.CONCLUSIONS Patients make decisions about diabetes self-management depending on their current needs, seeking and incorporating diverse information sources not traditionally viewed as providing health information. Based on our fi ndings, we have developed a new health information model that refl ects both the nonlinear nature of health information-seeking behavior and the interplay of both active information seeking and passive receipt of information.

Information seeking and use amongst people living with type 2 diabetes: an information continuum

“…The findings of this study enhance previous research suggesting that people living with T2D tend to seek information for their current needs (Longo et al 2010), by demonstrating that patients' baseline understanding and social resources orientate the type of information sought, and how it is applied. The present findings also suggest that health information provision should reflect and address the sources of the patient uncertainty, motives for seeking information and be able to provide information-seeking strategies relevant to the patient's current circumstances to ensure that relevant information is sought and applied by the patient in the most appropriate and effective way.…”

“…In terms of seeking information, studies show that the process is mediated by how appropriate the information is to the concerns of the person living with T2D, with people tending to seek information that reflects their current needs (Onwudine et al 2011). There is also evidence of variation in how actively people seek information (Longo et al 2010). Other studies (Powell et al 2007) have found an association between poor glycaemic control and low health literacy.…”

“…Studies relating to the application of health information have found that information is acted on and enhanced where the individual is able to draw on social support (Osborn et al 2010) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to interpret more complex information (Longo et al 2010). Key factors found to mitigate the ability to act on T2D-related health information include poor general literacy (Longo et al 2010); lack of awareness of target blood glucose and blood pressure management and finding diabetesrelated health information confusing (Onwudine et al 2011).…”

“…Key factors found to mitigate the ability to act on T2D-related health information include poor general literacy (Longo et al 2010); lack of awareness of target blood glucose and blood pressure management and finding diabetesrelated health information confusing (Onwudine et al 2011). Whilst there has been some work examining factors that may predict how information is used in general (Longo et al 2010, Onwudine et al 2011, there is no work exploring the precise motives of people with T2D in seeking information about their illness as self-reported by patients themselves rather than inferred from the HCP perspective. This study examined patient motives for information seeking amongst people with T2D.…”

Sharing Health Information and Influencing Behavioral Intentions: The Role of Health Literacy, Information Overload, and the Internet in the Diffusion of Healthy Heart Information

“…Furthermore, when an information sharer acquires new information that matches the information needs of others, the sharer can pass along the new information to the target (Rioux, 2005). Individuals with low levels of health literacy (Framton & Vance, 2003;Mayer & Villaire, 2004) consider family members their preferred source when seeking health-related information (Longo et al, 2010). Given the role of family members and friends in the exchange of health information, close interpersonal networks can play a vital role in the distribution of health information.…”