Where Am I to Go? Use of the Internet for Consumer Health Information by Two Vulnerable Communities

The elderly and African Americans are groups sometimes described as vulnerable or at risk for health complications, and both are communities for whom consumer health information is believed to be important. A review of recent research literature on the information behaviors of these two special popu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Library trends 2004-10, Vol.53 (2), p.283-300
Main Author: Detlefsen, Ellen Gay
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult Learning
African Americans
Aging (Individuals)
Bulletin Boards
Caregivers
Community Relations
Computers
Consumer health information
Health informatics
Health Services
Information literacy
Information Needs
Information Seeking
Internet
Internet access
Libraries
Literacy
Mass Media
Old people
Older Adults
Older people
Online information retrieval
Printed Materials
Public Libraries
USA
User needs
Users
Websites
World Wide Web
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Summary:The elderly and African Americans are groups sometimes described as vulnerable or at risk for health complications, and both are communities for whom consumer health information is believed to be important. A review of recent research literature on the information behaviors of these two special populations is provided, and information is presented from the research literature about the use of the Internet by the elderly and by African Americans. Both groups seem to prefer information from their health care providers and/or from established sources, but both groups do seek consumer health information and are increasingly using the Internet for information searches. The characteristics of desirable Web-based consumer health information for these groups are presented, as well as tools or tips that are available for evaluating Web-based consumer health information for these special populations. Finally, specific consumer health Web sites that provide quality information and that are especially useful for the elderly and for African Americans are identified. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0024-2594
1559-0682