scholarly journals Consumer Health Information Service for Patients and Medical Consumers. Consumer Health Information Services in the United States.

1998 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Junko Adachi SNYDER ◽  
Katherine L. LINDER
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Service ◽  
The United States ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Consumer Health

scholarly journals Consumer health information services in public libraries in Canada and the US

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Murray
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Health Information Resources

In response to a growing demand from the public for health information resources, North American public libraries have provided varying levels of consumer health information (CHI) services since the 1970s. Due to the availability of funding in the US, many American public libraries have provided CHI services, although the majority of these have been as partnerships with health sciences libraries or via the “Go Local” programs. In Canada, where no specific funding has been available for CHI services, few public libraries have set up CHI services; health information has generally been provided by augmenting health collections or “virtually,” i.e., by providing links to recommended electronic resources via the library’s Web site.

scholarly journals Dietary and herbal supplements for weight loss: assessing the quality of patient information online

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Y. Ng ◽  
Saad Ahmed ◽  
Catherine Jiayi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
High Quality ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Given the high prevalence of dietary and herbal supplement (DHS) use in tandem with the growing ease of internet access, patients commonly search online for consumer health information about these products. One common reason for DHSs use includes weight loss. Healthcare providers need to be aware of the quality of online information about DHSs for weight loss so they can adequately counsel their patients and provide them with guidance surrounding the identification of high-quality information resources. This study aimed to assess the quality of online DHSs consumer health information for weight loss that a “typical” patient might access online. Methods Six search terms were used to generate the first 20 websites on the Google search engine in four countries: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States (n = 480 websites). After applying exclusion criteria, eligible websites were quality assessed using the DISCERN instrument. This tool is comprised of 16 questions, each evaluated on a 5-point scale. The averages and standard deviations for each DISCERN instrument item, in addition to overall summed scores between 15 and 75 were calculated. Results Across 87 eligible websites, the mean summed score was 44.80 (SD = 11.53), while the mean overall DISCERN score of each website was 2.72 (SD = 0.99). In general, websites detailed and achieved their specified aims and described treatment benefits. However, most websites failed to describe the impact of treatment on overall quality of life and the impact of a no treatment option. The highest-scoring websites were largely government or health portal websites, while the lowest-scoring websites were largely commercial in nature. Conclusion High variability in DISCERN instrument scores was found across all websites assessed. Healthcare providers should be aware of the fact that their patients may be accessing misinformation online surrounding the use of DHSs for weight loss. Therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to ensure that they are providing their patients with guidance on how to identify high-quality resources online, in order that safe, effective, and evidence-based decisions are made surrounding the use of DHSs for weight loss.

scholarly journals Consumer health information on the Internet: an evaluation report on the Nova Scotia Health Network

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mardi Amirault ◽  
Shelley Cobbett ◽  
Andrea Doherty ◽  
Jackie Hartigan-Rogers ◽  
Adele LeBlanc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
Health Network

The Nova Scotia Health Network (NSHN) is a province-wide, Web-based consumer health information service provided through the cooperative efforts of various organizations, including public libraries, health sciences libraries, the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, and Dalhousie University. The primary intent of the NSHN was to build on existing community resources to provide a quality source of local and general health information. Objective – The purpose was to evaluate the NSHN from the perspective of its users in relation to the ease of use of the site and the usability of the information and content. Methods – A descriptive design was chosen to address the study objectives. Results – Study participants were those users of the NSHN site who agreed to complete and submit an online survey between June 2002 and June 2003. The majority of study respondents were white, middle-aged, English-speaking females, who resided in rural Nova Scotia. They were mostly able to find the information they wanted with little effort and in a reasonable time frame. One in four participants indicated that the information had been used to help them change their lifestyle, whereas one in three reported that they had shared the information with their health care provider. The content found on the site was very highly rated, with more than 90% reporting that the information was easy to understand, useful, and of high quality. Conclusion – The data obtained in this study was positive and encouraging. Sixty-six percent rated the site as a 4 or 5 (with 5 being the best rating) when compared with other health information sites they had visited. Individuals who visited the NSHN site in the past used the acquired information to change health care practices and (or) seek further treatment.

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