Abstract
Little is known about how patients move among information sources to fulfill unmet needs. We interviewed 43 breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer patients. Using a grounded theory approach, we identified patterns and motivations for movement among information sources. Overall, patients reported using one source (e.g., newspaper) followed by the use of another source (e.g., Internet), and five key motivations for such cross-source movement emerged. Patients' social networks often played a central role in this movement. Understanding how patients navigate an increasingly complex information environment may help clinicians and educators to guide patients to appropriate, high-quality sources.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 360-370 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Cancer Education |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Keywords
- Complementarity theory
- Cross-source engagement
- Grounded theory
- Information seeking