Sujin Kim1, Kevin Real2. 1. Division of Biomedical Informatics, School of Library and Information Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. 2. Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study developed a profile of inactive information seekers by characterising how they are different from active seekers, identifying possible determinants of inactive seekers and understanding characteristics of frequently asked influenza-related questions. METHODS: A survey and follow-up interviews were conducted between December 2010 and January 2011. A total of 307 health care workers in three hospitals in Central Kentucky (USA) are included. RESULTS: Four study groups were formed based on their information-seeking and vaccination uptake status: (1) Inactive Seekers with Vaccination (N = 141); (2) Inactive Seekers without Vaccination (N = 49); (3) Active Seekers with Vaccination (N = 107); and (4) Active Seekers without Vaccination (N = 10). Inactive Seekers without Vaccination are found to be least responsive to health outcomes. Inactive Seeker groups do not prefer to use sources such as Internet or family/friends. In predicting inactive seekers, Information Needs and Knowledge Perception made significant contributions to prediction. The most frequently asked questions included information about survival duration of influenza virus (N = 25) followed by the incubation period for influenza (N = 24). CONCLUSION: Profiling inactive seekers can serve as a way to better design customised influenza information sources and services for health care workers, thus giving hospitals through medical libraries additional tools to reduce the spread of influenza.
OBJECTIVE: This study developed a profile of inactive information seekers by characterising how they are different from active seekers, identifying possible determinants of inactive seekers and understanding characteristics of frequently asked influenza-related questions. METHODS: A survey and follow-up interviews were conducted between December 2010 and January 2011. A total of 307 health care workers in three hospitals in Central Kentucky (USA) are included. RESULTS: Four study groups were formed based on their information-seeking and vaccination uptake status: (1) Inactive Seekers with Vaccination (N = 141); (2) Inactive Seekers without Vaccination (N = 49); (3) Active Seekers with Vaccination (N = 107); and (4) Active Seekers without Vaccination (N = 10). Inactive Seekers without Vaccination are found to be least responsive to health outcomes. Inactive Seeker groups do not prefer to use sources such as Internet or family/friends. In predicting inactive seekers, Information Needs and Knowledge Perception made significant contributions to prediction. The most frequently asked questions included information about survival duration of influenza virus (N = 25) followed by the incubation period for influenza (N = 24). CONCLUSION: Profiling inactive seekers can serve as a way to better design customised influenza information sources and services for health care workers, thus giving hospitals through medical libraries additional tools to reduce the spread of influenza.