scholarly journals Harnessing the Web: How E-Health and E-Health Literacy Impact Young Adults’ Perceptions of Online Health Information

Medicine 2 0 ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. e5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowena Briones
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
The Web

A Tool for Quantifying the Quality of Online Health Information on Student Health Center Websites (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anagha Kulkarni ◽  
Mike Wong ◽  
Tejasvi Belsare ◽  
Risha Shah ◽  
Diana Yu Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Health Center ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Student Health ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Student Health Center

BACKGROUND The Internet has become a major source of health information especially for adolescents and young adults. Unfortunately, inaccurate, incomplete or outdated health information is widespread online. Often adolescents and young adults turn to authoritative websites such as the student health center (SHC) website of the university they are attending to obtain reliable health information. Although most on-campus SHC clinics comply with the American College Health Association (ACHA) standards, their websites are not subject to any standards or code of conduct. In the absence of quality standards or guidelines, the monitoring and compliance processes do not exist for SHC websites either. As such, there is no oversight on the health information published on the SHC websites by any central governing body. OBJECTIVE Our objective is to enable researchers to monitor online information quality at scale. We have created a tool that can efficiently quantify the quality of information posted on SHC websites about a health topic. Specifically, this quantitative tool provides information on quality, such as reading ease, coverage of the topic, and the degree of fact-based objective information. METHODS Our cross-functional team has designed and developed an open-source software, QMOHI: Quantitative Measures of Online Health Information, using the Agile software development methodology. The QMOHI tool finds the SHC website and gathers information on the specific health topic of interest from a prespecified list of university websites. Based on the retrieved text, the tool computes eight different quality metrics. The QMOHI tool is a fully automated tool that is designed to be scalable, generalizable, and robust. RESULTS The first empirical evaluation shows that the QMOHI tool is highly scalable and substantially more efficient than the manual approach of assessing online information quality. The second experimental results demonstrate QMOHI’s ability to work effectively with starkly different health topics (COVID, Cancer, LARC, and Condom) and with narrowly focused topics (hormonal IUD and copper IUD); thereby establishing the generalizability and versatility of the tool. The results from the last experiment demonstrate that QMOHI is not vulnerable to typical structural changes that SHC websites may undergo (e.g. URL changes) over a long period of time. QMOHI is able to support longitudinal studies by being robust to such website changes. CONCLUSIONS QMOHI allows public health researchers and practitioners to conduct large-scale studies of SHC websites that were previously too time intensive. The capability to generalize broadly or focus narrowly allows for wide applications of QMOHI, equipping researchers to study both mainstream and underexplored health topics. QMOHI’s ability to robustly analyze SHC websites periodically facilitates longitudinal investigations and monitor SHC progress. QMOHI serves as a launching pad for our future work that aims to develop a broadly applicable public health tool for online health information studies with potential applications far beyond SHC websites.

scholarly journals Online Health Information Seeking by Parents for Their Children: Systematic Review and Agenda for Further Research

10.2196/19985 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. e19985
Author(s):  
Christian Kubb ◽  
Heather M Foran
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Online Health Information Seeking ◽  
The Web

Background Parents commonly use the internet to search for information about their child’s health-related symptoms and guide parental health-related decisions. Despite the impact of parental online health seeking on offline health behaviors, this area of research remains understudied. Previous literature has not adequately distinguished searched behaviors when searching for oneself or one`s child. Objective The purpose of this review is to examine prevalences and associated variables of parent-child online health information seeking; investigate parents’ health-related online behavior regarding how they find, use, and evaluate information; and identify barriers and concerns that they experience during the search. Based on this analysis, we develop a conceptual model of potentially important variables of proxy online health information seeking, with a focus on building an agenda for further research. Methods We conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review of the PsycINFO, JMIR, and PubMed electronic databases. Studies between January 1994 and June 2018 were considered. The conceptual model was developed using an inductive mixed methods approach based on the investigated variables in the study sample. Results A total of 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that parents worldwide are heavy online users of health-related information for their children across highly diverse circumstances. A total of 6 studies found high parental health anxiety, with prevalences ranging from 14% to 52%. Although parents reported wishing for more guidance from their pediatrician on how to find reliable information, they rarely discussed retrieved information from the web. The conceptual model of proxy online health information seeking includes 49 variables. Conclusions This systematic review identifies important gaps regarding the influence of health-related information on parents’ health behavior and outcomes. Follow-up studies are required to offer parents guidance on how to use the web for health purposes in an effective way, as well as solutions to the multifaceted problems during or after online health information seeking for their child. The conceptual model with the number of studies in each model category listed highlights how previous studies have hardly considered relational variables between the parent and child. An agenda for future research is presented.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Levels of Digital Health Literacy Based on the Taiwan Digital Health Literacy Assessment and Accurate Assessment of Online Health Information: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Liu ◽  
Ling-Ling Yeh ◽  
Jiun-Yi Wang ◽  
Shao-Ti Lee
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Information Bank

BACKGROUND The increasing amount of health information available on the internet makes it more important than ever to ensure that people can judge the accuracy of this information to prevent them from harm. It may be possible for platforms to set up protective mechanisms depending on the level of digital health literacy and thereby to decrease the possibility of harm by the misuse of health information. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to create an instrument for digital health literacy assessment (DHLA) based on the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) to categorize participants by level of risk of misinterpreting health information into high-, medium-, and low-risk groups. METHODS This study developed a DHLA and constructed an online health information bank with correct and incorrect answers. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to detect the cutoff value of DHLA, using 5 items randomly selected from the online health information bank, to classify users as being at low, medium, or high risk of misjudging health information. This provided information about the relationship between risk group for digital health literacy and accurate judgement of online health information. The study participants were Taiwanese residents aged 20 years and older. Snowball sampling was used, and internet questionnaires were anonymously completed by the participants. The reliability and validity of DHLA were examined. Logistic regression was used to analyze factors associated with risk groups from the DHLA. RESULTS This study collected 1588 valid questionnaires. The online health information bank included 310 items of health information, which were classified as easy (147 items), moderate (122 items), or difficult (41 items) based on the difficulty of judging their accuracy. The internal consistency of DHLA was satisfactory (α=.87), and factor analysis of construct validity found three factors, accounting for 76.6% of the variance. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found 106 people at high risk, 1368 at medium risk, and 114 at low risk of misinterpreting health information. Of the original grouped cases, 89.6% were correctly classified after discriminate analysis. Logistic regression analysis showed that participants with a high risk of misjudging health information had a lower education level, lower income, and poorer health. They also rarely or never browsed the internet. These differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS The DHLA score could distinguish those at low, medium, and high risk of misjudging health information on the internet. Health information platforms on the internet could consider incorporating DHLA to set up a mechanism to protect users from misusing health information and avoid harming their health.

scholarly journals Marketing To Health Information Seekers: A Critical Look At The Principal Assumptions

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Altan Erdem
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Healthcare Industry ◽  
Medical Issues ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Information Sources ◽  
The Web

As the Internet gained more significance in various dimensions of our lives and dealings with others, it was just a matter of time for the world of healthcare to incorporate the Internet-use into its routines.  We are now seeing tangible examples of this use in many facets of healthcare industry.  Both providers and patients have been pursuing Internet-related strategies, remedies, routines, and etc. for a while now.  It has been stated that majority of the Americans who are online are looking for health information.  Healthcare information is accessed more than sports, stocks, and shopping.  Some believe that this growing use of online health information sources is able to bridge the gap between what patients know and what they are told.  In other words, these patients can visit their physicians armed with knowledge obtained on the Web and pursue rather educated discussions with their physicians about their medical issues.  Of course, this is true based on the assumptions that the websites that these patients use provide accurate information and the patients comprehend this information properly.  The purpose of this paper is to very briefly review some of the ongoing trends in this field and review the practicality of the two assumptions listed above.  It is hoped that inquiries like this result in a better understanding of the components required for a proper use of online options to improve the efficiency of healthcare practices.

scholarly journals Low Health Literacy and Evaluation of Online Health Information: A Systematic Review of the Literature

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. e112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Diviani ◽  
Bas van den Putte ◽  
Stefano Giani ◽  
Julia CM van Weert
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Low Health Literacy

scholarly journals Low-Level Evidence Suggests that Perceived Ability to Evaluate and Trust Online Health Information is Associated with Low Health Literacy

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
Lindsay Alcock
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Evaluative Criteria ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
The Impact

Objective – To review, based on research evidence, the correlation between low health literacy and four outcomes of interest: (1) the ability to evaluate online health information based on (2) perceived reliability and accuracy, (3) trust in the Internet as an information source, and (4) the application of established evaluation criteria. Design – Systematic review and narrative synthesis. Setting –MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Communication and Mass-media Complete as well as articles discovered through the snowball method. Subjects – 38 studies identified through a systematic literature search. Methods – An exhaustive list of potential articles was gathered through searching five online databases and Google Scholar, and hand searching of references. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied in a two-phase screening process in which two researchers participated to address reliability. Data, including study characteristics and metadata, predictors, assessment methods, and outcomes, were extracted from relevant studies, and then synthesized narratively. Main Results – Following duplication removal 13,632 records were retrieved, 254 of which were identified for full-text assessment. Thirty-eight studies met the eligibility criteria. All studies were non-experimental and therefore graded as a low level of evidence; 35 were cross-sectional designs, 1 a focus group, and 2 were observational studies. Studies varied widely in population definition and sample size and were published between 2001 and 2013, primarily in North America. Overall, a positive association was identified between health literacy and outcomes related to the ability to evaluate or trust Internet health information, while findings were inconsistent related to perceived quality of information and the application of evaluative criteria. Four studies examined the impact of health literacy levels on one or more of the outcomes of interest. The most prevalent outcome measure studied was trust in online health information, and the least prevalent was the use of evaluative criteria. The ability to trust online health information was assessed primarily through self-reporting, half of which utilized the eHealth Literacy scale, the majority of which indicated a positive correlation between education level or low health literacy and the perceived or actual ability to evaluate online health information. No studies on perceived information quality were found to utilize health literacy as an indicator. A positive association between educational level and trust in health information on the Internet was reported in ten studies, while two articles noted a similar correlation based on proxies for health literacy, including English language proficiency and comprehension comfort. In terms of the use of evaluation criteria, only one study focused on health literacy, indicating that those with low health literacy evaluate online health information based on search result placement, celebrity endorsement, image quality, and site authorship, and that they trust university researchers more than government or religious authorities to provide health information. No association was shown between readability or physician-provided online information and evaluation criteria while one study demonstrated that study participants with higher education tended to check author credentials more often when evaluating a website. Conclusion – Effective and informed evaluation of online health information is impacted by low health literacy.

Age and Neurocognition Are Associated With Credibility Evaluations of Health Websites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Babicz ◽  
Samina Rahman ◽  
Victoria Kordovski ◽  
Savanna Tierney ◽  
Steven Paul Woods
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Neurocognitive Functions ◽  
Credibility Rating ◽  
Future Work

The internet has become a common means by which many older adults seek out health information. The prevalence of misinformation on the internet makes the search for accurate online health information a more complex and evaluative process. This study examined the role of age and neurocognition in credibility evaluations of credible and non-credible health websites. Forty-one older adults and fifty younger adults completed a structured credibility rating task in which they evaluated a series of webpages displaying health information about migraine treatments. Participants also completed measures of neurocognition, internet use, and health literacy. Results suggested that older adults rated non-credible health websites as more credible than younger adults, but the age groups did not differ in their ratings of credible sites. Within the full sample, neurocognition was positively associated with credibility ratings for non-credible health websites, whereas health literacy was related to the ratings of credible sites. Findings indicate that older adults may be more likely to trust non-credible health websites than younger adults, which may relate to differences in higher-order neurocognitive functions. Future work might examine whether cognitive-based supports for credibility training in older adults can be used to improve the accuracy with which they evaluate online health information.

scholarly journals Health and web for women: preliminary results of “SEI Donna” survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Covolo ◽  
M Guana ◽  
G Bonaccorsi ◽  
L Brunelli ◽  
S Castaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
European Population ◽  
Second Opinion ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Public Health Communication ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Health Products ◽  
The Web

Abstract Background In 2018, 52% of the European population use the Web to seek health information and 77% consider it a useful tool to improve their knowledge about health. The Italian survey “SEI Donna” aims to investigate knowledge, perceptions and use of the web tools in women regarding health issues. Methods We used an online questionnaire to collect data including the type of online research and the degree of trust towards different sources. We also assessed health literacy (HL) and eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) using validated tests. Results Of 7291 women who completed the questionnaire, 96% (n = 7022) seeks health information online. The 33% of women follows social media groups on health. One third of sample (31%) purchased a health product online, particularly cosmetics (75%) and supplements (41%). More than one third of sample thinks that information retrieved by web improve their health (35%) and influence their habits (34%). Half of sample (52%) searched online for a second opinion after medical examination. The reason was the need of a deepening in the 67% of cases. Overall, the HL is functional in 34% of cases, marginal in 56% and low in the rest (10%). Women with low HL trust less health information reported by institutional websites than women with functional HL, respectively 73% vs 86% (p < 0.001) and the eHEALS score of women less trusting is lower than those trusting, 23±7 vs 28±7 (p < 0.001). One third of women declares not to be able to evaluate the reliability of a website particularly women with low HL (36%) compared to those with functional HL (20%), p < 0.001. Women reporting not to be able to evaluate the reliability of a website have eHEALS score lower than women who indicated an institutional website, respectively 24±7 vs 28±7 (p < 0.001). Conclusions The results confirm the large use of the web as a tool to seek health information, have a second opinion and buy health products. A good level of HL and eHEALS seem to make women more skilled in surfing the web. Key messages The results confirm the importance to put effort on strategies aiming to improve health literacy and eHealth literacy in the population. In the public health communication perspective, the fact that one third of women thinks that information retrieved by web improve their health and influence their habits, must be considered.

scholarly journals How Do Subjective Health Literacy Measures Work in Young Adults? Specifying “Online” or “Paper-Based” Forms Impacts Results

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 238146832092467
Author(s):  
Mary C. Politi ◽  
Courtney M. Goodwin ◽  
Kimberly A. Kaphingst ◽  
Xuechen Wang ◽  
Angela Fagerlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Single Item ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
No Gold Standard ◽  
Electronic Health Information

Purpose. There is no gold-standard health literacy measure. The Single Item Literacy Screener (SILS) and Subjective Literacy Screener (SLS) ask people to self-report ability to understand health information. They were developed in older adults, before common use of electronic health information. This study explored whether the SILS and SLS related to objective literacy, numeracy, and comprehension among young adults, and whether specifying “online” or “paper-based” wording affected these relationships. Methods. Eligible individuals (18–35 years of age, English-speaking, US residents) from an online survey company were randomized to 1) original measures; 2) measures adding “paper-based” to describe health information/forms; or 3) measures adding “online” to describe health information/forms. We examined how each measure related to e-Health Literacy (eHEALS), subjective numeracy (SNS), objective numeracy (ONS), and comprehension of a short passage. Results. A total of 848/1342 respondents correctly answered attention-checks and were analyzed. The validated SILS related to comprehension ( P = 0.003), eHEALS ( P = 0.04), and ONS ( P < 0.001) but not SNS ( P = 0.44). When adding “paper-based,” SILS related to eHEALS ( P < 0.001) and ONS ( P = 0.003) but did not relate to comprehension ( P = 0.25) or SNS ( P = 0.35). When adding “online,” SILS related to comprehension ( P < 0.001), eHEALS ( P < 0.001), ONS ( P = 0.005), and SNS ( P = 0.03). The validated SLS related to comprehension ( P < 0.001), eHEALS ( P < 0.001), ONS ( P < 0.001), and SNS ( P < 0.001). When adding “paper-based,” the SLS only related to eHEALS ( P = <0.001) and comprehension ( P = 0.03) but did not relate to ONS ( P = 0.13) or SNS ( P = 0.33). When adding “online,” the SLS related to comprehension ( P < 0.001), eHEALS ( P < 0.001), and SNS ( P = 0.03) but not ONS ( P = 0.06). Conclusions. Young adults might interpret subjective health literacy measures differently when prompted to think about electronic or paper-based information. Researchers should consider clearer instructions or modified wording when using these measures in this population.

scholarly journals Health Literacy and Online Health Information Processing: Unraveling the Underlying Mechanisms

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (sup2) ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corine S. Meppelink ◽  
Edith G. Smit ◽  
Nicola Diviani ◽  
Julia C. M. Van Weert
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms
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