Information management in health visitors’ public health and community development activities

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to identify UK health visitors' management of information, with particular reference to their public health and community development activities. Widely recognized concepts, such as information audit to assess information need and process models of information management, were applied at operational level to represent health visitors' information environment. The naturalistic methodology included interviews and observation, the use of NUD.IST to aid qualitative data analysis, and the code and retrieve method to develop theory. The results highlight information flows, categories of information need, and key issues relating to health visitors' information management practice. It is concluded that the community development work of health visitors can be seen as information work, and that health visitors can be viewed as 'information processors' and 'information facilitators'. It is suggested that health visiting requires an information policy that will inform the development of local information strategies and effective information management practices. Keywords community development, health visitors, information management, information needs, public health IntroductionThe purpose of this article is to report a study of information management (IM) in health visitors' public health and community development activities and to apply information management concepts to an as yet unexamined area. In what follows we discuss the 83 Article Downloaded from background to the study and describe the qualitative methodology. Results highlight information flows in relation to the IM cycle, and the role of technology in the perceptions and work of the people involved in the study. Health visitors' information needs and the way information is acquired, and some key issues in relation to the way health visitors deal with information, are identified. We conclude that community development can be seen as 'information work' given the 'information facilitation' role that health visitors undertake on behalf of their clients, and offer recommendations and guidelines for practice, including the development of an information policy for health visiting work.