The practice of information appraisal
An ethnographic study of a health information intervention
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4217832 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ronja Rosenberg Grøn (0000-0002-7168-6746, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Denmark), Charlotte Ettrup Christiansen (0000-0002-0618-2074, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Denmark), Janni Strøm (0000-0001-6986-776X, Capio Private Hospitals, Part of Ramsay Santè, Denmark), Mette Terp Høybye (0000-0001-6914-2697, Aarhus University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 812-830 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health Illness and Medicine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1363-4593 • E-ISSN: 1461-7196 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13634593231204173 |
| PMID | 37873954 |
| OpenAlex | W4387893559 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 28 |
As healthcare systems grow increasingly complex, greater demands are placed on patients' abilities to find, understand, appraise, and use health information - often termed their 'health literacy'. Most health literacy research does not focus on information appraisal. When it does, there is a tendency to equate it with patients' assessment of credibility. This reproduces a healthcare-centric understanding of information appraisal where patient agency is omitted. This study explores how participants in a health information intervention practiced information appraisal. The intervention aimed to increase information uptake for people with low back pain by delivering health information to them through animations. This study draws on ethnographic participant observation of the encounters between the intervention and its participants, including 49 rapid interviews and semi-structured telephone interviews with 23 participants carried out in the spring of 2021. Inspired by a social practice approach, the study thoroughly grounds the health literacy subcategory of 'appraisal' in practice. It illustrates that participants appraised the information provided in the intervention according to several factors. These include relating the information to their personal health needs, interpreting the intended audience of the health animations, and prioritising their attention situationally between the animations and other immediate concerns. We suggest that information appraisal is a fundamental component of health literacy and should be considered key in research, policy and practice. To accommodate current healthcare ideals of patient centeredness, empowerment and informed choice, the complex and dynamic ways in which people appraise health information need be considered legitimate practices of health literacy
Ethnography · Health care · Health information · Political science · Sociology · Anthropology · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Health Policy Implementation Science · Health Sciences Research and Education · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology
Quick and dirty? A systematic review of the use of rapid ethnographies in healthcare organisation and delivery
Process evaluation of complex interventions
Outline of a Theory of Practice
Sundhedskompetencer som en sociokulturel ressource i sundhed
Strengthening Critical Health Literacy for Health Information Appraisal
Developing Indicators to Measure Critical Health Literacy in the Context of Norwegian Lower Secondary Schools
Critical health literacy
Displayed enthusiasm attracts attention and improves recall
The missing link
Health literacy as a social practice
Theory Construction in Qualitative Research
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |