Hispanic Preferences for Health Care Providers and Health Care Information

In a 1994 telephone survey, only 13% of 522 adult Hispanic respondents in the Southwest used media as the main source of information for physicians, while 19% used media for information regarding health services. Family and friends were main sources. About 75% of the respondents had a family physician with the mother (68%) making health care decisions for the family. A large majority of respondents said that neither the physician's sex, nor race were factors in choosing physicians.     

Health Care Information Seeking and Seniors: Determinants of Internet Use

While seniors are the most likely population segment to have chronic diseases, they are the least likely to seek information about health and diseases on the Internet. An understanding of factors that impact seniors’ usage of the Internet for health care information may provide them with tools needed to improve health. This research examined some of these factors as identified in the comprehensive model of information seeking to find that demographics, trust in health information websites, perceived usefulness of the Internet, and internal locus of control each significantly impact seniors’ use of the Internet to seek health information.     

Collaborating with Patient Care Units to Provide Consumer Health Information

Abstract

Providing access to information for patients and families is one of the primary knowledge-based functions of a hospital library. To meet this goal, the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Library and Resource Center has developed a variety of consumer health information services, including a full-time staffed consumer health Resource Library with companion Web sites, as well as developing and supporting two departmental patient libraries. Combining the information resources of both the Resource Library and the Web sites for the Pediatric and Oncology nursing units has enhanced the information available on the overall site and provided an opportunity for collaboration with nursing staff to meet the health information needs of patients and families.     

Health Training and Information Needs of Child Day Care Providers

This study sought to determine day care providers (day care center directors and family day care home providers) knowledge of the health status of children in their care, the availability of first and and emergency procedures, the management of acute conditions and illness, and provider interest in training and information on child health Although both types of providers need additional training, the needs of family day care home providers seem greater There was limited interest in topics that have become increasingly important, e g, care of children with disabilities or with chronic conditions To meet these health training and informational needs of day care providers, community-based health professionals and health agencies should become more involved as advocates, consultants, and resources for health promotion and disease prevention practices in day care settings.     

Incidental Health Information Use on the Internet

This study investigates the correlates of incidental or nonpurposive health information use on the Internet. Through a secondary analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey II data, this study reveals that incidental health information use on the Internet is positively associated with overall Internet use, active health information seeking on the Internet, and incidental health information use from traditional media. Thus, this study extends the notion of media complementarity to incidental media usage in a health communication context. This study also reveals that adults who have been diagnosed with cancer are more likely to have incidental health information use from traditional media but not the Internet. More important, this study suggests that incidental health information use on the Internet is positively associated with health knowledge. The findings have important implications for health information campaigns on the Internet.     

Patients' Reasons for Refraining from Discussing Internet Health Information with Their Healthcare Providers

This exploratory study examined factors that constrain patients from discussing Internet health information with their healthcare providers. Participants (N?=?714) were asked to list reasons why they have not talked with their providers about Internet health information they had found. Factors (N?=?767) included patient attributions about the information, systems or circumstances, fear of treading on the provider's turf, face-saving concerns, and patient perceptions of provider attributions about the information. Comparisons between those who had and those who had not talked to their healthcare providers about their Internet research revealed significant differences in types of constraining factors indicated. Issues concerning an increasingly Internet-savvy public and provider–patient relationships are considered in the discussion within the framework of the goals, planning, action theory. Continued efforts in provider and patient education can help to overcome barriers that restrict communication concerning Internet health research.     

Traditional and Mobile Public Health Alert Communications with Health Care Providers

Objective

To systematically compare mobile (SMS) and traditional (email, FAX) communication strategies to identify which modality is most effective for communication of health alerts and advisories between public health agencies and health care providers in order to improve emergency preparedness and response.

Introduction

The effectiveness of emergency preparedness and response systems depends, in part, on the effectiveness of communication between agencies and individuals involved in emergency response, including health care providers who play a significant role in planning, event detection, response and communication with the public. Although much attention has been paid to the importance of communicating clinical data from health care providers to public health agencies for purposes of early event detection and situational awareness (e.g., BioSense) and to the need for alerting health care providers of public health events (e.g., Health Alert Networks), no studies to date have systematically identified the most effective methods of communication between public health agencies and community health care providers for purposes of public health emergency preparedness and response.The REACH (Rapid Emergency Alert Communication in Health) study is a 4-year randomized controlled trial to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of mobile (SMS) and traditional (email, FAX) communication strategies for sending public health messages to health care providers—physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and veterinarians.

Methods

Providers were recruited from three sites (King County, WA; Spokane County, WA; and across the state of Montana; N=845) and randomized to receive time-sensitive public health messages via email, Fax, short message service (SMS) or to a control group that did not receive messages. For one year, alerts based on real events of public health interest were sent quarterly with follow-up telephone interviews conducted 5–10 days after the delivery date. Interviews consisted of approximately six questions that elicited information about message receipt, recall of its content and perceived credibility and trustworthiness of the message and source. In addition, provider access to online alert information and delivery success or failure was collected.

Results

Frequency of receipt, timeliness, content awareness, perceived credibility and perceived trustworthiness were measured and compared across communication delivery systems. On average 84.0% of participants were contacted in each follow-up survey following all alerts and across all three sites. Primary data analysis was designed to measure differences between the three communication groups using intent-to-treat methods. A set of secondary analyses examined the outcomes excluding providers who could not have received messages (due to incorrect contact information, known technical failures, or because providers could not receive messages by the assigned delivery message—for example, a provider without a Fax number randomized to the Fax group).We will discuss preliminary results of intent-to-treat analyses regarding rate of recall of study alert message content between traditional and mobile communications and perceived trustworthiness and credibility of message and message source by providers. In addition, we will report on frequency of accessing online alert information between traditional and mobile delivery groups.

Conclusions

There is currently no evidence-based research to guide or improve the practice of public health communication between public health agencies and health care providers before, during and after a public health emergency. Improving this communication via the use of effective media can enhance disease surveillance, which will aid in early detection and enhance case finding and situational awareness for public health emergencies. By systematically evaluating the relative effectiveness of mobile and traditional message delivery systems for emergency preparedness and response communications, the REACH study contributes to building the evidence base for novel and effective approaches to emergency communications.     

Patient Activation and Health Literacy as Predictors of Health Information Use in a General Sample of Dutch Health Care Consumers

In demand-led health care systems, consumers are expected to play an informed, active role in health care decisions by making use of health information. The ability to seek and use this information depends on specific knowledge, skills, and self-confidence. In this study, the authors validated a translated instrument to measure patient activation (Dutch PAM-13) in a general sample of Dutch health care consumers. Furthermore, the authors examined the relative contribution of patient activation and functional health literacy to the seeking and use of health information in The Netherlands. The mean patient activation score in the Dutch sample was higher for younger health care consumers and for those with a higher education, higher income, and better self-reported general and mental health status. More activated consumers were more likely to seek and use health information. Patient activation proved to be a stronger predictor for seeking and using health information than functional health literacy.     

Communication and Care in an Acute Cancer Center: The Effects of Patients' Willingness to Communicate About Health,Health-Care Environment Perceptions,and Health Status on Information Seeking,Participation in Care Practices,and Satisfaction

This study investigated the role of willingness to communicate about health (WTCH) among older patients in a state-of-the-art cancer center. Specifically, relationships were examined between patients' WTCH and their information seeking, perceptions of coping activities the center offered, and satisfaction with the center. The study also explored how those relationships may be mediated by patients' perceptions of the health-care environment and their health status. The results indicated that WTCH may play an important role in predicting information-seeking behaviors, perceived helpfulness of center-sponsored activities, and overall satisfaction with care received at the center. Evidence also was found that perceptions of the health-care environment mediated cancer patients' WTCH. The implications of these findings for communication theory and application, as well as limitations and future directions for research, are discussed.     

The Association Between Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Internet Use Disorder

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is an important women’s mental health issue. This study aimed to investigate the association between Internet use disorder (IUD), PMDD, and their associated factors, such as stress and impulsivity. Women with PMDD (n = 79) and controls (n = 76) were recruited from the community. The diagnoses of PMDD and IUD were confirmed by psychiatric interviews. Participants were evaluated with the Chen Internet Addiction Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale in both the premenstrual and follicular phases. Women with PMDD were more likely to have IUD. Women with PMDD had greater severity of IUD, perceived stress, and impulsivity than the control group in the premenstrual phase. Impulsivity mediated the association between PMDD and IUD, while both impulsivity and perceived stress mediated the association between PMDD and IUD severity. Thus, IUD should be evaluated and treated among women with PMDD, particularly for those with higher impulsivity or higher perceived stress. Strategies for stress management and counseling for impulsivity should be provided to women with PMDD, particular to those comorbid with IUD.     

The Critical Role of Health Information Technology in the Safe Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care to Improve Patient Care

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research - Integrated behavioral health and primary care is a set of related approaches to enhance care delivery, safety, and quality through closer...     

Rural Health Care Providers in the United States

One of the most recalcitrant problems of the rural health landscape is the uneven distribution and relative shortage of medical care providers. Despite considerable efforts by federal and state governments over the past three decades to address these problems, rural provider distribution and shortage issues have persisted. The purpose of this article is to identify the challenges for rural health research and policy regarding health provider supply in the first decade of the 21st century. While the emphasis in this article is on physicians, workforce concerns pertaining to nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are briefly described. Physician supply, geographic and specialty distribution, age, gender, quality of care, recruitment and retention, training, productivity and income, reimbursement aid managed care, federal and state ameliorative programs, safety net, and telehealth are discussed. Also highlighted are issues concerning rural health care workforce research, methods, and data as well as a series of policy-relevant questions. Solutions to rural health personnel problems can only be successfully addressed through multifaceted approaches. No vision of the future of rural health can come to fruition if it does not promote stable, rewarding, and fulfilling professional and personal lives for rural health care providers.     

医护人员的压力及压力管理

不断增大的压力是现代社会的一个特点．由于医学的高风险性、不确定性和信息不对称性，医护人员面临着更大的压力．文章探讨了压力的定义、医护人员的压力状况和压力源，以及压力的表现和负性作用，最后集中提出了几点压力管理的策略，以此来帮助医护人员学会如何应对自己面临的压力，提高个人的健康和工作质量。