e-Health: Application of Computing Science in Medicine and Health Care
Abstract
The increasing availability of evidence-based medical information on the Internet has great potential to empower patients and health professionals and equip them for better decision-making, improving health outcomes. However, previous research has only evaluated the quality and accessibility of online information rather than the impact this information is having on the user. With these new technologies, are we actually empowering patients and professionals, improving their knowledge and changing their attitudes in a way that will impact on their behaviour? This paper presents the results of a pilot study investigating whether information within a medical digital library changes user knowledge and attitudes. The study had positive results with significant changes recorded. We conclude that digital libraries have the potential to change knowledge and attitudes of a range of users, but we need to evaluate this impact to inform digital library design in order to maximise the impact on users
