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The information needs and information-seeking behaviours of home-care workers and clients receiving home care
Article first published online: 24 MAY 2005
DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2005.00551.x
1471-1842/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=2dea745709e11ef6849a87971758da853a7cba3c "Health Information & Libraries Journal")
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How to Cite
Cooper, J. and Urquhart, C. (2005), The information needs and information-seeking behaviours of home-care workers and clients receiving home care. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 22: 107–116. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2005.00551.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 24 MAY 2005
- Article first published online: 24 MAY 2005
- Received 13 February 2004; accepted 6 October 2004.
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Abstract
Aims and objectives: Discusses findings from doctoral research on the information behaviour of home-care workers and their clients. The paper focuses on the findings, which have implications for health library and information services.
Sample and methods: The qualitative research methods included participant observation in the homes of clients (n = 7), over a period of 18 months, in a city in the UK, complemented by in-depth interviews of home-care staff (n = 47).
Results: Home-care staff perceived requests for information on a variety of topics as an indivisible part of their caring role. Clients asked for more information than they had in the past, and home-care workers were expected to respond to a wide variety of enquiries about health, welfare, leisure and domestic concerns. Clients trusted their advice as much as they might have trusted members of the family. Home-care workers from an agency used a variety of resources at the agency office to help them, such as leaflets on welfare benefits, and health conditions. Few had used NHS Direct, and library use (by a third of the home-care workers) was generally associated with course work or training. Some family members and home-care staff used self-help groups, but the research found that family members were sometimes reticent to ask advice on sensitive issues in self-help groups. Home-care workers learnt from each other and shared experience.
Conclusions: Libraries and information services need to target provision of formal information carefully, as it is advice and counsel that is required in the home-care setting.