3/4/2004
Health Information Retrieval: Positive attitudes and failed inquiries From: International Journal of Medical Informatics, Volume 73, Issue 1, February 2004
In recent years, conflicting studies have been released stating that, on one hand, consumers have a high level of satisfaction with the Internet as a health information resource, while on the other hand consumers are often unsuccessful in searching for health information pertinent to their needs.
A recent study suggests that, although many consumers are not able to find the exact information they are looking for, they did hold positive views on their past and future health information retrieval on the Internet. This may imply that consumers have certain information needs that are even more difficult to address through other channels, such as talking with a clinician.
The study also suggests that there are three ways to approach the problem of health information retrieval on the Internet in order to allow consumer’s to find the exact information they are looking for: 1) make queries more specific; 2) improve search engines so that they better match a query with appropriate targets; or 3) limit the search space. Here at SAA, we hope to get you all the information you need when you need it. Please send us any suggestions you may have concerning our site to: info@spondylitis