Patients’ health literacy in relation to the preference for a general practitioner as the source of health information

Abstract

Background For many patients, the general practitioner (GP) is the most important point of contact for obtaining information about a wide range of health topics. However, patients with different characteristics may seek health information from different sources, such as friends or the internet. The relationship between patient characteristics and preferences for information sources is understudied. We investigate which information sources are used by patients for health-related questions and how this relates to patients’ sociodemographics, health, and health literacy. Methods A stratified and population-based survey was conducted to investigate health information sources within the German population over 35 years ( n = 4144). Sociodemographics, use of technology, health-related indicators, and health literacy (including self-efficacy and action planning), as well as questions regarding the ratings of multiple health-related information sources, were investigated in personal interviews and analyzed using logistic regression. Results In our study, GPs were the most important source of information for the patients, followed by medical specialists, pharmacists and the internet. Patient age and number of illnesses were associated with the choice of information source. Furthermore, action planning and self-efficacy for acquiring health knowledge were associated with the selected source of information. Conclusions Information provider appears to be an important role for GPs, particularly among old and chronically ill patients. GPs should have the specific capabilities to fill this role and should be trained and referred to accordingly. Self-efficacy and action planning for acquiring health knowledge are important patient factors doctors can use for brief inventions during consultations.

Wie informieren sich die Menschen in Deutschland zum Thema Gesundheit? Erkenntnisse aus der ersten Welle von HINTS Germany

“…Angesichts der breiten Verfügbarkeit und leichten Zugänglichkeit gesundheitsrelevanter Informationen im Internet überrascht, dass nur etwa ein Fünftel der Befragten bei akutem Informationsbedarf zuerst online nach Informationen sucht. Derartige Tendenzen zeigen sich allerdings auch in anderen Studien [8,32,33]. Der eher seltene Zugriff auf das Internet als primäre Quelle korrespondiert mit dem geringeren Vertrauen, das die Befragten in das Internet als Quelle für Gesundheitsinformationen legen, was auch aus anderen Studien bekannt ist [31,34] nem Arztbesuch [31].…”

Parents’ health information seeking behaviour – does the child’s health status play a role?

“…Literature indicates that the Internet has become increasingly important as a source of information for child health [1]. Moreover, the number of online portals developed to meet the needs of parents has greatly increased, offering information on a wide variety of topics such as deliveries, breast-feeding, and children's diseases [2]. O'Connor and Madge [3] argue that the shift to the Internet is due to parent's appreciation of its 24-h availability.…”

Parents’ health information seeking behaviour – does the child’s health status play a role?

“…Literature indicates that the Internet has become increasingly important as a source of information for child health [1]. Moreover, the number of online portals developed to meet the needs of parents has greatly increased, offering information on a wide variety of topics such as deliveries, breast-feeding, and children's diseases [2]. O'Connor and Madge [3] argue that the shift to the Internet is due to parent's appreciation of its 24-hour availability.…”

“…[20] shows that parents whose children suffer from high fever seek advice from doctors, books or other parents, but less often from the Internet, while Yardi et al found parents of a child with a disability to access the internet more frequently than parents of healthy children [21]. A representative study among adults in Germany has shown that those with multiple chronic conditions preferred a general practitioner as an information source compared with those without chronic conditions [2]. Parents with a disabled child may thus experience a particular need for specific health information.…”