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Health Communication in CMC

By

Theodoros Papadopoulos

Athanasios Mangos

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CMC

Stands for Computer Mediated Communication

Technically, CMC has been around since the first electronic digital device was invented

It’s really been since mid-1990 because of the growing popularity of personal computers

Many definitions

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CMC Definitions

CMC is communication that takes place between human beings via the instrumentality of computers (Susan Herring, 1996). http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/herring/

Computer Mediated Communication is a process of human communication via computers, involving people, situated in particular contexts, engaging in processes to shape media for a variety of purposes (John December, 1997).http://www.december.com/john/

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Applications of CMC theory

Health communication Political communication Legal communication Organizational communication Lifespan communication Instructional communication Visual communication

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Health Communication in CMC

http://www.health.com/health/

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A story…

Ken Walker (Scot) | Helo . . .have broblemd , , ,thhimkI am wayin g stroke

Ken Walker, from Scotland, was participating in a regularly scheduled genealogy chatroom. At first the other members and the chatroom moderator, Richard Eastman, were sceptical. However, concern escalated once Walker’s chatting became even more erratic. Members encouraged Walker to stay alert and continue communicating, ensuring that he was part of a supportive community:

Ken Walker (Scot) | i am aloneMARY L. WITTLOCK | No you are not we are all here for you

After Walker managed to type his telephone number, Eastman contacted an international telephone operator, who provided Walker’s address. The telephone operator also connected Eastman with local police. Two minutes later, an ambulance arrived and Walker was rushed to the hospital, treated, and eventually released

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Pioneering Community Health Online

Tom Grundner and his colleagues in the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

A bulletin board was set up and developed a program called St Silicon’s Hospital and Information Dispensary

“Doc in the box” was introduced

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Pioneering Community Health Online.E-Medicine

From 1984 to 1996, the system attracted six million users.

It was predicted that, by 2005, an estimated 88 million people in the United States alone may be using the internet for medical service and advice (Gorney, 2001).

Some questions that have to be answered arise from this growth.

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Reasons to go Online for Health Information

Know someone who has been diagnosed with a medical condition (81%)

Someone has been diagnosed with a new health problem of his/her own (58%)

He/she is being prescribed a new medication or course of treatment (56%)

Deal with ongoing medical condition (47%) Unanswered questions after a doctor’s visit (47%) Change his/her diet or exercise habits (46%) Caregiver to someone else (38%)

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Health Seekers

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Concerns about Health Communication in CMC

The problem is that anyone can create a health-related website. (Dr Paul Lambden, 2000).

How is online health information quality to be monitored?

What kind of information should and shouldn’t be made available online?

How might patients influence their physicians’ decisions over medical treatment? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

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Online Health Information Quality

It is not very accurate but it is estimated that there are over 100.000 health-related Web sites today.

Enter the word “health” in Google. Surveys indicate that the trend towards use of the

Internet for health purposes is rising (8 in 10 users). It becomes obvious that the concern of harm caused

by wrong to Internet users is rising too. Because of this fact, many organizations were

established.

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Online Health Information Quality

Medical Library Association (MLA) Healthfinder.gov (U.S Department of health and human

Services) Urac.org ( Health Care quality organization) Jmir.org ( Journal of Medical Internet Research) American Medical Association (AMA) British Healthcare Internet Association (BHIA) National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Evaluating Internet Health Information Tutorial (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/webeval/webeval.html)

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Online Health Information Quality

In order to achieve health information quality, users have to follow these steps:– Consider the source– Know the site’s purpose– Look for the evidence– Check the date– Know the target audience

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Kinds of Available Information

Two major categories Appropriate

Health information about routine daily afflictions that people have to deal with

Advice about serious diseases and information about prevention

Advice about medication

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Kinds of Available Information

InappropriateUnorthodox methods of medical treatment

Do-it yourself methods from “pseudo-doctors”

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Influence of Patients

Online health information has big impact in people and specifically, health seekers

16% of online health information seekers said that online health had a major impact, and 52% said a minor impact, on their own health care routine or the way they helped care for someone else

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Conclusions

Health communication in CMC affects peoples’ life

The number of health seekers increases every year

Online health organizations try to guarantee for the quality of information they provide

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Conclusions

Users have to make their own research for everything that concerns health but, in addition, they have to have doctors’ opinion

Users should try to reach information that has been validated from authorized organizations.

Health advisors should try to give only educational information about health and always encourage users to advise their doctors

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References

Matthew S. Eastin, Credibility Assessments of Online Health Information: The Effects of Source Expertise and Knowledge of Content, School of Journalism and Communication The Ohio State University

Eve-Lynn Nelson et.al, Evolving Pediatrician Perceptions of a Telemedicine Program, Center for TeleMedicine and TeleHealth, University of Kansas Medical Center #Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center

Pamela Whitten et.al, Telehospice: Using Telecommunication Technology for Terminally Ill Patients, Michigan State University, University of Kansas Medical Center

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References

Marlene M. Maheu, Exposing the Risk, yet Moving Forward: A Behavioral E-Health Model Director of Telehealth and Ehealth, Alliant University

Pamela Whitten, et.al, Ehealth: Market Potential and Business Strategies Department of Telecommunications, Michigan State University, USA

Ahmad Risk; Joan Dzenowagis, Review Of Internet Health Information Quality Initiatives World Health Organization Department of Health Information Management and Dissemination

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References (cont.)

ANGELA COULTER et.al, NOVEMBER 2006,Assessing the quality of information to support people in making decisions about their health and healthcare

Fox, Susannah. Health Information Online. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project, May 17, 2005

Pew Internet & American Life Project November 2004 Survey (N=537). Susannah Fox, Associate Director, Online Health Search 2006 Most

internet users start at a search engine when looking for health information online. Very few check the source and date of the information they find. October 29, 2006 PEW INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT 1615 L ST., NW – SUITE 700 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/webeval/webeval.html

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References (cont.)

http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/ http://jcmc.indiana.edu/ http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol6/issue4/ http://www.com.washington.edu/cmc/

weblinks_chpt_focusAreas/weblinks_focusUn4.html http://www.jmir.org/2001/4/e28 http://www.pickereurope.org/Filestore/Downloads/

Health-information-quality-web-version-FINAL.pdf http://www.mlanet.org/resources/userguide.html http://www.pslgroup.com/psl.nsf/default?Openform