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Project > Theme l
THEME l: Lay User Issues
Why is this research important? [top]
The internet is becoming a major source of health information
for Canadians. 66% of internet users sought online health
information in 2002, according to a recent Public Works
Canada report. At the same time, the Canadian government
is channelling significant public resources into this area.
In the current climate, it is essential for projects like
ACTION for Health to examine several understudied areas:
- How the public uses information technology and its effects
on their health
- The efficacy of information technology in delivering
health information to the public
- Technology's compability with the needs and behaviour
of ordinary citizens
Theme l addresses one of the core values of the Canadian
Health System - equal access to services. Research in this
area helps to determine if online health information allows
Canadians to participate in meaningful decisions about their
health, and identifies the social support needed to improve
the usefulness of online health information.
What is being studied? [top]
Theme l looks at challenges and issues arising in two inter-related
areas:
- The public's use of information technology and its effect
on health outcomes
- The role of human and technological aids in the consumption
of online health information
Research sites include health promotion websites, libraries,
health clinics, as well as resource and community centres.
Investigators will focus on topics and questions such as:
Access - All Canadians do not have equal access
to the Internet. Often marginalized populations have the
least access to online resources, which reinforces existing
inequalities in Canadian society.
- How does this context affect computer mediated health
information?
- What are the barriers to access?
- Where is the public accessing online health information?
Consumption - Online health information is often
written at a literacy level higher than that of the average
user.
- How do different levels of literacy affect public
consumption of health information?
- How do human and computer information helpers affect
the consumption of online health information?
- What roles do information intermediaries fill when
people seek information via computers?
Interpretation - Much of the health information
available to the public is intended for professional,
not general use. For example, tools such as online medical
databases are created for expert information seekers and
might only increase confusion for lay-users who encounter
them.
- How do information seekers interpret the data they
obtain?
- Does online health information help users make meaningful
and well-informed decisions about their health?
About Theme I Sub-Projects
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