ABSTRACT
The Internet plays an important role in the information gathering process for people affected by cancer. This paper presents the results of a study comparing two sources of cancer information; a website and a telephone helpline. Data were captured on the use of one section of the UK charity CancerBACUP's website, and systematically compared to data collected from every fifth user of the charity's helpline. Subjects of enquiry for 994 telephone enquiries and 3096 web enquiries were comparable. The majority of enquiries to both services were about women and/or patients aged 50 or older. Website users were more likely than helpline users to request factual information and less likely to request information on sensitive topics. This study provides valuable information about the types of health information people seek from different sources and how the sources may complement each other.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Hotlines/standards , Information Services/standards , Internet/standards , Neoplasms/psychology , Adult , Attitude to Computers , Communication , Computer Literacy , Confidentiality , Counseling , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Services Needs and Demand , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic/methods , Professional-Patient Relations , Shame , Surveys and Questionnaires , United KingdomABSTRACT
Given the emphasis on providing services in the community, it is likely that there will be an increase in research into various aspects of the community. It is important that the way in which 'community' is defined in research will provide valid and reliable data and facilitate comparisons with other work on the subject. This paper discusses how the problems of defining the community were approached in a longitudinal study of the careers of people qualifying from the pre-registration diploma course in nursing.
