Using Q-Methodology to Examine eHealth Searches Among Health Education Students

Background: Although some research has been initiated among future health professionals to investigate their cognitive basis for health information searches on the Internet, little is known about Internet search practices among health education college students.

Purpose: To systematically identify perspectives of personal eHealth search practices among college students majoring in health education.

Methodology: Q methodology was used to examine subjective perspectives regarding personal eHealth search practices among health education students attending a large Southwestern US research institution. Thirteen (n = 13) undergraduate students were interviewed regarding their attitudes and experiences conducting eHealth searches to locate and evaluate eHealth information. From these interviews, 36 statements were used in a structured ranking task to identify clusters of common perspectives, and also determine which specific perceptions of eHealth search practices discriminated students into different categories. Scores on an objective measure of eHealth literacy were used to help classify student perspectives.

Results: Q-technique factor analysis of the rankings identified three (n=3) clusters of respondents with differing views on eHealth searches that generally coincided with their objective eHealth literacy scores. The proficient resourceful (PR) students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.56-0.80) described themselves as using multiple resources to obtain eHealth information, as opposed to simply relying on Internet search engines. The intermediate reluctant (IR) students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.75-0.90) reported engaging only Internet search engines to locate eHealth information, citing undeveloped evaluation skills when considering sources of health information on the Internet. Both PR and IR students also reported not knowing how to use Boolean operators to conduct Internet health searches. The basic hubristic (BH) students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.54-0.76) described themselves as independent procrastinators when searching for eHealth information. Interestingly, BH students represented the only cluster of participants to describe themselves as (a) having received instruction on using the Internet to conduct eHealth searches, and (b) possessing relative confidence when completing eHealth search tasks.

Discussion: Subjective perspectives of eHealth search practices differed among health education students possessing different levels of eHealth literacy. This presentation will highlight results from this study as well as challenges and opportunities for empowering health education students to use the Internet to obtain and appraise evidence-based health information.

1. The participant will describe how to use Q-methodology to study health education students' viewpoints on using the Internet to search for health information.

2. The participant will summarize how subjective perspectives of eHealth search practices differ among various types of health education students.