NURS 8210 Week 8: Consumer Health Informatics Discussion ORDER NOW FOR ORIGINAL PAPER
NURS 8210 Week 8: Consumer Health Informatics Discussion
Consumer Health Information Discussion
“Better Information. Better Health.” —WebMD
“Trusted Health Information for You.” —MedlinePlus
Popular health information websites (such as the ones noted above) have consumers logging on to acquire health information. Yet, research shows that many of today’s consumers need assistance searching for information as well as understanding and applying it. Lack of technological expertise, low levels of health literacy, and an inability to distinguish relevant facts are just some of the documented challenges.
As you work through this Discussion, keep in mind that health literacy does not merely imply access to information, but also the capacity to process that information to make informed decisions. In this Discussion, be sure to conceptualize nursing’s roles and responsibilities in assisting patients with web-based information.
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References:
WebMD. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/
MedlinePlus. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
To prepare:
- With the information from the Learning Resources in mind, consider the amount and types of health information available to consumers online.
- Reflect on the patients you have encountered in your practice, and consider their health literacy and use of online information.
- Evaluate strategies you could use to educate and assist your patients to appropriately use health information found on the web.
By Day 3 post a cohesive response that addresses the following:
- Synthesize your previous experiences with consumer health literacy in your practice setting.
- Formulate strategies that you could use to assist patients in interpreting and applying online health information going forward. Include strategies for those patients that overuse medical websites or regularly misinterpret medical information found online.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
By Day 6 respond to at least two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:
- Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.
- Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
- Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
- Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
- Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
- Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and/or any insights you gained as a result of the comments made by your colleagues.
Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and any additional sources.
Click on the Reply button below to post your response.
NURS 8210 Week 8: Consumer Health Informatics Discussion
Among the many changes that technology has brought to health care, one of the most important relates to the evolving role of the patient. Today, many patients use online resources to educate themselves and manage their health decisions. As a group, they are known as “the informed patient.” These individuals may play a more active part in their own care than patients typically have in years past. As this population of information seekers continues to grow, the health care field will need to develop strategies to facilitate health literacy.
This week, you examine how this phenomenon is affecting nursing practice, and consider how you might be able to assist consumers in accessing, understanding, and applying online health information.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Synthesize experiences with consumer health literacy as seen in your practice setting
- Formulate strategies to assist patients in the application of web-based health information
Photo Credit: [spaxiax]/[iStock / 360]/Getty Images
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Course Text: American Nurses Association. (2008). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, MD: Author.
- Chapter 16, “Personal Health Record: Managing Personal Health”. This chapter provides an in-depth look at consumer expectations, as well as barriers and innovations that are driving the policies of electronic personal health records.
Adams, S. A. (2010). Blog-based applications and health information: Two case studies that illustrate important questions for Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) research. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 79(6), e89–e96./p>. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. The author examines existing literature to evaluate the impact that Web 2.0 technologies have on health management.
Keselman, A., Logan, R., Arnott Smith, C., Leroy, G., & Zeng-Treitler, Q. (2008). Developing informatics tools and strategies for consumer-centered health communication. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 15(4), 473–483. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. A detailed analysis of present and future barriers found in managing e-health informational resources and consumer communications is given in this article.
Lewis, D. (2007). Evolution of consumer health informatics [Editorial]. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 25(6), 316. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. This article gives a brief overview of the Internet’s role in expanding health care’s consumer network.
Misra, R., Mark, J. H., Khan, S., & Kukafka, R. (2010). Using design principles to foster understanding of complex health concepts in consumer informatics tools. AMIA 2010 Symposium Proceedings, 492-496./p>. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. The researchers in this qualitative study examine the effectiveness that a decision support tool, Tailored Lifestyle Conversations (TLC), has on patients’ ability to comprehend presented information.
Pak, R., Price, M. M., & Thatcher, J. (2009). Age-sensitive design of online health information: Comparative usability study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 11(4), e45. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. The authors of this study analyze the usability results of tag-based systems vs. hierarchal informational systems on two different age groups to determine which design allows for more efficient means of information assembly.
Powell, J., Inglis, N., Ronnie, J., & Large, S. (2011). The characteristics and motivations of online health information seekers: Cross-sectional survey and qualitative interview study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1), e20. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. View excerpts from the online questionnaires and follow-up interviews used in this study to identify common themes around motivation, challenges, strategies, and benefits regarding individuals’ use of the Internet to gather health information.
Health on the Net Foundation. (2011).
Retrieved from http://www.hon.ch/
Discussion: Welcome to the Week 8 Discussion area!
Post your responses to the Discussion based on the course requirements.
Your Discussion postings should be written in standard edited English and follow APA guidelines as closely as possible given the constraints of the online platform. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct. Initial postings must be 250–350 words (not including references).
Submission and Grading Information
NURS 8210 Week 8: Consumer Health Informatics Discussion Grading Criteria
Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 6
To participate in this Discussion:
Assignment: Application 3: Health Information Technology Project [Major Assessment 5]
Continue working on Application 3: Health Information Technology Project [Major Assessment 5], assigned in Week 4.
By Day 7 of Week 9
Submit your Assignment.
Grading Criteria
Document: Week 9 Major Assessment 5 Rubric (Word document)
Week in Review
This week you synthesized experiences with consumer health literacy and formulated strategies to assist patients in the application of web-based health information. Next week you will consider the benefits of electronic health records and personal health records (PHR).
Consumer Health Informatics Discussion SAMPLE APPROACH
Previous Experiences with consumer health literacy
Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to attain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions promoting health and disease prevention to maintain and improve quality of life. “Health literacy is increasingly recognized as a critical part of improving health care quality, increasing the effectiveness of consumers’ health purchasing decisions, and strengthening consumers’ management of their own health” (Sorensen et al., 2012, p.1). Low literacy has serious consequences for patient’s health and health care organizations. Patients and families sometimes have a very difficult time understanding verbal or written instructions from their health care providers. In order to be compliant with following healthcare professionals directions to successfully navigate the health system to obtain needed care a high degree of health literacy is needed. In my current position I work for a nurse triage/advise line providing patients with guidance on how to use healthcare appropriately. My role is to educate patients on their health, treatment options, and available resources allowing them to make informed healthcare decisions. At the nurse advice line we guide patients to the appropriate level of care, anytime, day or night. Many of the patients who utilize the nurse advice line enjoy looking up their symptoms on the Internet and then calling the nurse line to confirm that they do not have a life threatening illness. The biggest component of our job is to educate patients on utilizing approved and reliable websites such as WebMD or Mayo clinic when researching health topics.
Strategies that you could use to assist patients in interpreting and applying online health information
As health care has moved to a patient-centered care approach, patient education must be tailored to meet persons’ individual needs to promote and improve health literacy. Many patients including the older generation have low health literacy skills, and have difficulty with reading, writing, communication, and the use of electronic technology, which impede access to and understanding of health care information (Pak, Price, & Thatcher, 2009). The use of the Internet is very popular among users searching for health related topics. Many healthcare providers perceive Internet health information as problematic as they feel it generates patient misinformation and an inclination towards detrimental self-diagnosis (Laugesen, Hassanein, & Yuan, 2015). Strategies include training the public about internet usage for their healthcare needs and have suggested courses for health care professionals with the intention to disseminate skills such as conducting searches, assessing website quality, and using the relevant information to educate their patients. Another strategy would be to develop workshops or courses to train staff members to assess Internet sources for accuracy, bias, and usability to enable them to teach patients to utilize the Internet effectively to better enhance their care. High levels of health literacy are associated with better patient self-care and outcomes. Using online health information resources can improve health literacy by helping patients understand and engage in their care to foster better health outcomes (Keselman, Logan, Smith, Leroy, & Zeng-Treitler, 2008).
References
Keselman, A., Logan, R., Smith, C. A., Leroy, G., & Zeng-Treitler, Q. (2008). Developing informatics tools and strategies for consumer-centered health communication. Journal Of The American Medical Informatics Association: JAMIA, 15(4), 473–483. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1197/jamia.M2744
Laugesen, J., Hassanein, K., & Yuan, Y. (2015). The Impact of Internet Health Information on Patient Compliance: A Research Model and an Empirical Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(6), e143. http://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.4333
Pak, R., Price, M. M., & Thatcher, J. (2009). Age-sensitive design of online health information: comparative usability study. Journal Of Medical Internet Research, 11(4), e45. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.2196/jmir.1220
Sorensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., & Brand, H. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(80) 1-13. http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
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