Information needs and information seeking behaviour of people with dementia and their non-professional caregivers: a scoping review

Background: People with dementia often require full-time caregivers especially in the later stages of their condition. People with dementia and caregivers’ access to reliable information on dementia is essential as it may have an important impact on patient care and quality of life. This study aims to provide an overview of the information needs and information seeking behaviour of people with dementia and their non-professional caregivers. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the literature and searched four electronic databases for eligible studies published up to August 2018. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Information needs were classified according to emerging themes in the literature, and information seeking behaviour was categorized using Wilson’s model of information behaviour. Results: Twenty studies with a total of 4,140 participants, were included in this review. Reported information needs focused on: (i) disease; (ii) patient care provision; (iii) healthcare services; and (iv) caregiver self-care. The most commonly reported information need was on healthcare service-related information. Characteristics found to influence information needs were the severity of dementia as well as patient and caregiver status. People with dementia and non-professional caregivers mainly displayed active searching, information seeking behaviour and preferred using electronic sources to obtain health information. Conclusion: Current dementia information sources available in English are extensive in the information they offer, but more emphasis needs to be placed on healthcare service-related information. All studies originated from high income countries and focused on information needs of non-professional caregivers only. The only variables found to be associated to information needs were severity of dementia condition as well as patient/caregiver status. The information needs identified in this review can be used to inform development and design of future dementia resources for people with dementia and their non-professional caregivers

Information-Seeking Behaviour of Extension Workers and Specialists in Nigerian Rural Communities with Special Reference to Job Satisfaction

The paper examined the information-seeking behaviour of extension workers and specialist in the context of their use and non-use of job-related information in Nigeria, and also in relation to their job  satisfaction. The objectives of the study are to identify the types of information sources, resources and communication channels used by extension workers and specialists in discharging their responsibilities. The paper also identifies the factors that inhibit their behaviour towards information seeking and use with special reference to their job satisfaction.Survey research method was used for the study. A questionnaire was  distributed to 38 public extension specialists across Nigeria, and 190 public extension workers. The findings of the study show that the main motivation for seeking job-related information by both public extension works and specialists was interest in developing their own job-related information. The findings also show that the most used information sources by extension workers and specialists were books, magazines and technical reports and both groups used non-Nigerian scientific magazines least frequently. The paper concludes that in both groups, there was a significant positive correlation between individuals' information seeking motivation and the extent to which they used information sources and communication channels. It is hoped that the paper will help in understanding the information seeking behaviour of extension workers and specialist in relation to their job satisfaction, it will also help libraries to be more costeffective by providing services that would satisfy the needs of the  extension workers and specialist leading to more job satisfaction. The paper would also enhance the role of rural libraries in providing information services to the rural communities this will lead to the development of rural communities and Nigeria at large. Finally, it will contribute to the existing knowledge, open new doors for further researches and serve as spring board for further researches in information seeking behaviour in Nigeria and world at large

How nurses behave online?

Registered nurses constitute the largest group of healthcare professionals with a rather distinctive and crucial role in healthcare services provision. For keeping up with their professional advances and follow the rapid and multifaceted scientific advances of medical practices they constantly require high quality of information. Internet and the online information resources play an important role towards the satisfaction of continual online information needs of nurses. This paper aims to investigate the online information needs of nurses and their internet seeking behaviour. Moreover, their perceptions for the role of information in nursing profession are studied. A survey informed by the Wilsons macro-model for information seeking behaviour is developed and included 87 registered nurses working at a public hospital. Data analysis involves descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests of correlation and differences between groups

Protocol for a scoping review on information needs and information-seeking behaviour of people with dementia and their non-professional caregivers

Background: Dementia is a debilitating disease that can lead to major changes in a patient’s behaviour and function. It is important to educate both dementia patients and their non-professional caregivers about the disease. Yet, currently available sources do not seem to be effective for patients and caregivers, who report a need for more information and guidance. A systematic identification of the patients’ and caregivers’ needs for information and information seeking behaviour is needed to create information resources that are relevant and beneficial to the target population. Objective: This is a protocol for a scoping review aimed at gathering knowledge on the information needs and information seeking behaviour of dementia patients and their non- professional caregivers. Our aim is also to provide recommendations for development of future dementia information resources. Methods: The study will commence in November 2018. Both quantitative and qualitative studies on the information needs of dementia patients or caregivers will be examined using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework for scoping studies. A comprehensive literature search will be conducted in electronic databases and grey literature sources. We will also screen reference lists of included studies and related systematic reviews for additional eligible studies. Two authors will perform screening of citations for eligibility, and independently extract data from the included studies in parallel. Any discrepancies will be resolved through discussion. The findings will be presented through a narrative synthesis and reported in line with PRISMA reporting guidelines. Ethics and dissemination: In this review, all included data will originate from published literature. Ethics approval is therefore not a requirement. We will present our findings at relevant conferences and will submit them for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Strengths and limitations of this study • In this scoping review, we will perform a comprehensive search of electronic databases and grey literature sources to identify up-to-date evidence on information needs and information seeking behaviour of dementia patients and their informal caregivers. • We will seek to identify evidence on information needs and information seeking behaviour of both dementia patients and their caregivers. • As this is a scoping review, a formal quality and risk of bias assessment of the included literature will not be performed. • This review will only include studies published in English

Information seeking behaviour of parents of paediatric patients for clinical decision making: the central role of information literacy in a participatory setting.

Introduction. This study investigated the information seeking behaviour and needs of parents of paediatric patients and their motives for seeking Internet-based information. Method. A questionnaire survey of 121 parents was conducted in a paediatric clinic of a Greek university hospital. Analysis. The data were analysed using SPSS; descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test statistics were performed to identify differences in reported information seeking behaviour. Results. Parents sought further information than that provided by their paediatrician and searched on the Internet to reduce their anxiety and cope better with their children's medical condition. The Internet was the second most important information source used after the paediatrician. The main obstacles parents encountered were the volume and unreliability of Internet health information and the infrequency of visits to the doctor. Conclusions. Informed participation of patients and paediatricians in clinical shared decision-making requires the development of information literacy in both parties. Health information professionals may act as information literacy instigators and educators for parents and paediatricians by means of offering information literacy prescriptions and other information decision aids

The information worlds of a disadvantaged community

Information seeking in context is a developing area of research, which explores the subject in settings ranging from high schools to legal practices to health organisations. Relatively little research, however, has been devoted to information behaviour in disadvantaged communities from a non-library perspective, particularly within a UK context. This study contributes to this field of research by exploring the information worlds — the everyday lives and information behaviour — of people living on a disadvantaged estate in Northeast England. The project was firmly rooted within the qualitative paradigm and employed a combination of ethnographic data collection methods to explore information behaviour including episodic narrative and extended participant observation. Interviews were carried out with 21 estate residents and with 13 key workers. The study discovered that everyday life on the estate was difficult and complex, a fact mirrored in the participants' information needs and in their information seeking behaviour. Cognitive information needs stemmed from everyday life issues such as debts, employment and health problems and were often met only with affective support from informal networks of family, friends and trusted on-estate regeneration workers. Trust was a major factor in information seeking owing to the insular nature of the estate and the participants' need for confidentiality and privacy. Participants often used the term information to indicate what was happening on the estate in terms of gossip and local news, but they also found the term a worrying one, associating it with intrusive questioning and with formal institutions. Formal, off-estate information providers were used for health reasons or in crisis situations, and the public library was not considered as an information source. In order to overcome the many barriers to information seeking, information providers need to focus on working in ongoing partnership with other agencies and on developing trusting relationships with people within their communities

Words to Live By: How Experience Shapes our Information World at Work, Play and in Everyday Life

Background: A considerable amount of effort has been spent studying information behaviours and practices associated with formal, professional contexts and documentary, tangible sources of information. Comparatively, relatively little is known about non–documentary and experience-based information found in informal, nonformal, blue collar and rural contexts. Experiences of everyday life are often neglected from a research standpoint because they are seen as common, familiar, and unremarkable. Research Question: By exploring familiar experiences of everyday life in one specific, marginalized context, my goals were to contribute to the body of interdisciplinary literature describing non–problem–based phenomena and non–documentary, experience-based sources of information; to extend our understanding of work, leisure and everyday life information practices in informal and non-professional contexts; and to elevate these less frequently studied experiences and information sources above the trivial theoretically. To address this gap, the present study asks, what is the nature of experience in the remote, rural village of Whitney, Ontario, Canada across the domains of work, leisure and maintenance activities? Method: I interviewed 24 adult residents of the village ranging in age from their early twenties to their late eighties using a semi–structured interview protocol. I also gathered data through several photo–methodologies including documentary photography, photo–voice, and photo–elicitation. Printed documentary evidence reflecting experiences in the village were obtained through environmental scanning. I analyzed data according to grounded theory from the perspective of everyday life information seeking theories, drawing support from serious leisure, lifelong learning, and experiential education theories where appropriate. Discussion: Reinforcing previous Information Behaviour theory, results show that informal information channels and interpersonal sources are frequently preferred over formal ones, and that contextual factors continue to influence information seeking and use across the domains of work, play and everyday life. More study is required to explain the characteristics and qualities that insulate small worlds like this from information poverty, as well as the effects of interruptions in the network of interpersonal sources relied on heavily in this context. This research also highlights how the social characteristics of information seeking and use add depth to discussions of leisure experiences. A working definition of experiential information is provided. Keywords: Experiential Information, Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS), Informal Information Behaviours, Information Poverty, Information Seeking Behaviours, Information Seeking and Use (ISU), Rural Information Seeking, Tacit Knowledge, Leisure Experience, Everyday Life Experienc

Information Needs, Information Sources and Information Seeking Behaviour of Agricultural Extension Workers in Osogbo Zone of Osun State, Nigeria

The study investigated information needs, information sources, and information seeking behaviour of agricultural extension workers in Osogbo zone of Osun State, Nigeria. It also focused on the factors influencing the choice of information sources and problems encountered when sourcing for information. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 54 respondents in the study area out of which 50 (98.6%) responded and were used for the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data using percentage and tables. Findings showed that personal collections, colleagues, radio and television programmes were the most used sources of information by extension workers in the study area. Furthermore, the ability of information sources to meet the information needs and reliability of the information sources were the major factor influencing the choice of information sources. The study discovered that non-availability of relevant information and inadequate current information sources were seen as main problems confronting the extension workers. Thus, accessibility of agricultural database, the establishment of agricultural information centres, making information sources attractive, and that extension workers should liaise with agricultural research centres for acquiring more knowledge were the suggestions made for improving the information needs, sources and seeking behaviour of extension workers in the course of this study

Variation in general practitioners' information-seeking behaviour:a cross-sectional study on the influence of gender, age and practice form

Objective: To assess general practitioners’ (GPs’) information-seeking behaviour and perceived importance of sources of scientific medical information and to investigate associations with GP characteristics. Design: A national cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically in December 2013. Setting: Danish general practice. Subjects: A population of 3440 GPs (corresponding to approximately 96% of all Danish GPs). Main outcome measures: GPs’ use and perceived importance of information sources. Multilevel mixed-effects logit models were used to investigate associations with GP characteristics after adjusting for relevant covariates. Results: A total of 1580 GPs (46.4%) responded to the questionnaire. GPs’ information-seeking behaviour is associated with gender, age and practice form. Single-handed GPs use their colleagues as an information source significantly less than GPs working in partnership practices and they do not use other sources more frequently. Compared with their younger colleagues, GPs aged above 44 years are less likely to seek information from colleagues, guidelines and websites, but more likely to seek information from medical journals. Male and female GPs seek information equally frequently. However, whereas male GPs are more likely than female GPs to find that pharmaceutical sales representative and non-refundable CME meetings are important, they are less likely to find that colleagues, refundable CME meetings, guidelines and websites are important. Conclusion: Results from this study indicate that GP characteristics should be taken into consideration when disseminating scientific medical information, to ensure that patients receive medically updated, high-quality care.KEY POINTS Research indicates that information-seeking behaviour is associated with GP characteristics. Further insights could provide opportunities for targeting information dissemination strategies. Single-handed GPs seek information from colleagues less frequently than GPs in partnerships and do not use other sources more frequently. GPs aged above 44 years do not seek information as frequently as their younger colleagues and prefer other information sources. Male and female GPs seek information equally frequently, but do not consider information sources equally important in keeping medically updated