Assessing consumer health information needs in a community hospital.

A study was conducted by the Oakwood Hospital Library in Dearborn, Michigan, to document health information needs and opinions among staff physicians and area health consumers. The study sought to discover which community sources, besides the hospital library, consumers were consulting for health information and how helpful these sources were; what types of health information physicians were providing to patients in their offices; and whether and how physicians and health consumers might differ in their perceptions of health information. Study results, along with suggested opportunities for additional investigation, are presented.