Is online consumer health information only beneficial for the wealthy and the educated? A commentary

Abstract

Online consumer health information (OCHI) is being used at an unprecedented rate, and this trend is expected to continue. Most people have used OCHI, and many may have seen the outcomes of this use (either positive or negative or both). Education and income, as indicators of socioeconomic status, are important contextual factors influencing OCHI outcomes. Much of the literature states that individuals with higher income and education are more likely to access OCHI and with this, experience better health outcomes. On the other hand, our research shows that when OCHI websites offer high-quality information that is accessible to those with low literacy levels, individuals with low socioeconomic status report as many benefits as those with higher income and education. In this commentary, we will describe the context of our research and present our findings. This work is relevant to information professionals (librarians) working with health professionals and the public, those teaching information literacy and health literacy, as well as researchers interested in information literacy and information use.

Keywords

Consumer health information internet socioeconomic status education

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