Kyunghye Kim

Profile of e-Patients: Analysis of Their Cancer Information-Seeking From a National Survey

Researchers have yet to fully understand how competent e-patients are in selecting and using health information sources, or, more importantly, who e-patients are. This study attempted to uncover how cancer e-patients differ from other cancer information seekers in terms of their sociodemographic background, social networks, information competence, and selection of cancer information sources. We analyzed data from the National Cancer Institutes 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey, and a series of chi-square tests showed that factors that distinguished cancer e-patients from other cancer information seekers were age, gender, education, employment status, health insurance, and membership in online support groups. They were not different in the other factors measured by the survey. Our logistic regression analysis revealed that the e-patients were older and talked about their health issues with friends or family more frequently compared with online health information seekers without cancer. While preferring information from their doctors over the Internet, e-patients used the Internet as their primary source. In contrast to previous literature, we found little evidence that e-patients were savvy health information consumers who could make informed decisions on their own health. The findings of this study addressed a need for a better design and delivery of health information literacy programs for cancer e-patients.

Who goes to a library for cancer information in the e-health era? A secondary data analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)

Abstract This study identifies characteristics of Americans who chose the library as their primary cancer information source over the Internet by examining demographic characteristics, online use experience, concerns of information quality, and perceptions of cancer information seeking. A secondary data analysis is conducted using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Findings reveal that people who are more likely to choose the library are, compared to their Internet counterparts, people who lack online experience, are distrustful of online cancer information, and are more aware of cancer sources. However, they are not necessarily more adept cancer information seekers and do not have a greater expectation of getting quality information from the library. These findings suggest how the library plays its role as an information source for cancer information consumers in the e-health environment. Implications of the findings are discussed in a way that libraries could invest their efforts to reduce the digital health divide and to advance consumer health information literacy.

Information seeking and source selection among ePatients with cancer: Findings from the HINTS 2005

This study is a secondary analysis of the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of 5,586 randomly chosen Americans, conducted by the National Cancer Institute. The current study focuses on a subset of this dataset and includes the responses of ePatients (n=252) – people with history of cancer researching cancer topics from the Internet-, and other cancer information seekers (n=1,740). A series of t-tests and chi-square tests was conducted to obtain insight into the socio-demographic, communication, and information-seeking characteristics the two groups possess. Compared to other cancer information seekers, ePatients were older; poorly employed or retired; more likely to have health coverage (insurance or Medicare, etc.); non-immigrant; more likely to pay higher attention to media coverage of health news; more likely to e-mail to doctors; more likely to trust information from the Internet; less likely to trust information from family/friends or radio; and more likely to have higher search expertise. More than half of the ePatients used the Internet for their primary information source, but growing number of the ePatients preferred doctors as the most preferred information source. The findings reveal five patterns in information and communication behaviors of ePatients. Implications from HINTS for health information providers were suggested.

What's in your list?: A survey of business database holdings and funding sources at top academic institutions

ABSTRACT The present study reports the online business database holdings of the top academic institutions in the United States, which databases are paid for by which entities on campus, and some of the most common and most desired business databases. An invitation to participate in an online survey was sent to 91 top institutions of which 39 institutions participated. The results show a wide variety of information resources are considered core business resources in contemporary business librarianship and imply an increasing importance of cost sharing in providing the databases to support research and efforts to commercialize research.

The internet public library: an online learning laboratory for digital libraries

This demonstration explores the Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org), a shared online facility for testing innovations in digital libraries and for training a skilled work force in digital library services, systems, and collections. Hypatia 2.0 and QRC software used in IPLs digital library collections and services are shown, with discussion of IPL in education, digital collections, digital reference services, digital library systems, and research.