Teaching Seniors to Use the Internet for Health Information
Author Information
Author(s): Robert J Campbell, David A Nolfi
Primary Institution: Duquesne University
Hypothesis
Teaching seniors to use the Internet to search for health care information will lead to increased willingness to use external health information and a more active role in managing their health care.
Conclusion
The training did not significantly change participants' willingness to take an active role in their health care or use the Internet for health-related decisions.
Supporting Evidence
- Of the 60 elderly adults who began the training course, 42 completed it.
- Statistically significant increases were found in health information seeking scores after training.
- Participants reported a willingness to use the Internet for health information, but did not actively use it for health care decisions.
Takeaway
This study taught older adults how to use the Internet for health information, but it didn't really help them feel more in control of their health.
Methodology
Participants attended a 5-week training course with lectures and hands-on training, followed by surveys at baseline, 5 weeks, and 1 year later.
Potential Biases
Self-selection of participants may indicate a pre-existing interest in using the Internet, which could skew results.
Limitations
Small sample size and high attrition rate limited the power of the study; lack of a control group may have biased results.
Participant Demographics
42 participants completed the study, with a mean age of 72, consisting of 34 females and 8 males.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P = .05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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