Chapter 9 Electronic Media and the Internet
Chapter Overview
Key Issues and Learning Outcomes
Key issues within this chapter:- The internet and other electronic media such as mobile phones and stand-alone computer technologies are valuable resources for health promotion.
- The internet is a source of information for the public and a means of networking for health promotion workers.
- A strength of the internet is its interactive nature and its potential to provide advice that is tailored to the needs of individuals.
- Challenges posed by the internet are the lack of controls on the quality of information provided and the difficulty that some sections of the community find in accessing information.
- critically assess the potential of internet and new technologies for health promotion.
- understand the features that make a website useful for health promotion.
- make better use of the internet to meet your own information needs.
- incorporate web-based strategies into your health promotion.
Test your Knowledge
Having read the chapter can you now answer the following questions?
- ‘Tailored communication’ is based on which theoretical models of health behaviour?
- Discuss the various health related uses people make of the internet.
- ‘A good health promotion website should….’?
- Look at a website targeted at young people and identify the key features that make it attractive to the target audience.
- What health issues do you think would be suitable for an online support group and why?
- How might you adapt a website for someone with a hearing or visual impairment?
- Explain a potential use of mobile phone and automated dialling in health promotion. What are the potential obstacles?
Internet links
General
Example of a health-related website. Ask Frank website for young people on drugs.
http://talktofrank.com/
Sources of health information and the role of the internet for health information.
This research was carried out between 1st September and 7th October 2002, in all European Union countries, on behalf of the European Opinion Research Group Brussels. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/ebs_179_en.pdf
Health on the Net is a not-for-profit organization that gives a seal of approval to health web sites that meets its eight point quality criteria.
http://www.hon.ch
For the web accessibility page of the Royal National Institute for the Blind
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/code/public_rnib008789.hcsp
Guide to designing web sites for dyslexic persons from the Dyslexia Magazine
http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/mag35.html
How Internet users decide what information to trust when they or their loved ones are sick. Report of the Pew Internet & American Life Project survey in 2001 of 500 Internet users who go online for health care information. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/59/report_display.asp
Articles
Birru, M.S., Monaco, V.M., Charles, L., Drew, H., Nije, V., Bierria, T., Detlefsen E., Steinman, R.A. (2004). ‘Internet usage by low-literacy adults seeking health information: an observational analysis.’ Journal of Medical Internet Research. Vol.6. issue 3 article e25. http://www.jmir.org/2004/3/e25/
Cabinet Office (2005). ‘eAccessibility of public sector services in the European Union.’ London: Cabinet Office
http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government/docs/eu_accessibility/pdf/eaccessibility(eu)_report.pdf
Christmann, S. (2005) ‘Health Literacy and Internet. Recommendations to promote Health Literacy by the means of the Internet.’ Brussels: EuroHealthNet. http://www.eurohealthnet.eu/images/publications/pu_8.pdf
Drentea, P., Moren-Cross, J. L. (2005). ‘Social capital and social support on the web: the case of an internet mother site.’ Sociology of Health and Illness, 27, 920-943.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2005.00464.x
Eastin, M. (2001). ‘Credibility assessments of online health information: the effects of source expertise and knowledge of content.’ JCMC 2001 Jul;6 (4):1-14. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol6/issue4/eastin.html
Eysenbach, G., Köhler, C. (2002). ‘How do consumers search for and appraise health information on the world wide web? Qualitative study using focus groups, usability tests, and in-depth interviews.’ British Medical Journal 324, 573-577 http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/324/7337/573
Health Education Board for Scotland (2002). ‘Youngpeople, health and the internet: a needs assessment’. Edinburgh: Health Education Board for Scotland. http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/400.aspx
Jackson, M., Peters, J. (2003). ‘Introducing touchscreens to black and ethnic minority groups--a report of processes and issues in the Three Cities project.’ Health Information Library Journal, 20, 143-149.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2532.2003.00425.x/enhancedabs/
Jones, R., Pearson, J., McGregor, S., Cawsey, A. J., Barrett, A., Craig, N., Atkinson, J. M., Gilmour, W. H., McEwen, J. (1999). ‘Randomized trial of personalized computer based information for cancer patients.’ British Medical Journal, 319, 1241-1247. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/319/7219/1241
Kreuter, M. W., Strecher, V. J. (1996). ‘Do tailored behavior change messages enhance the effectiveness of health risk appraisal? Results from a randomized trial.’ Health Education Research, 11, 97-105.
http://her.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/11/1/97
Kunst, H., Groot, D., Latthe, P.M., Latthe, M. and Khan, K.S. (2002). ‘Accuracy of information on apparently credible websites: survey of five common health topics.’ British Medical Journal, 324, 581-582.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/324/7337/581
Mayor, S. (2003). ‘Arsenal helps publicize testicular cancer website.’ British Medical Journal, 326, 1282.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7402/1282
Meric, F., Bernstam, E. V., Mirza, N.Q., Hunt, K. K., Ames, F.C., Ross, M.I., Kuerer, H.M., Pollock, R.E., Musen, M.A. and Singletary, S. E. (2002). ‘Breast cancer on the world wide web: cross sectional survey of quality of information and popularity of websites.’ British Medical Journal, 324, 577-581. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/324/7337/577
Oenema, A., Brug, J., Lechner, L. (2001). ‘Web-based tailored nutrition education: results of a randomized controlled trial.’ Health Education Research, 16, 647-660. http://her.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/16/6/647
