Assessing Health Information Consumers' Competencies in Managing Digital Media: A

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research serves to evaluate the methodology and technology for measuring health information competencies (beliefs, skills, and knowledge) pertaining to finding and evaluating health resources from new digital media. This application serves to: (a) Validate an online interactive assessment of health information competencies; (b) Assess health information competencies of future health professionals and (c) Evaluate the impact of the assessment on participants' competency-building intentions. To achieve this aim, data will be collected on the health information competencies of future health professionals who are enrolled in academic programs at a higher education institution. For validation purposes, the sample includes individuals whose background varies from first year in college and no experience to earning an advanced degree and practicing an information-intensive discipline. In addition to the instrument validation study, the following research questions will be answered: 1) To what extent are future health professionals skilled in managing and judging digital health information? 2) What are their weakest and strongest competencies and do those competencies vary by health profession and education level? 3) What intentions do young and pre-professional assessment takers have for building their health information competencies as a result of completing the assessment and receiving its individualized feedback? New quantitative data will be collected: 400 students will complete an interactive online assessment of health information competencies and 25 medical librarians will rate the importance of items included in the assessment. In addition, archival data on competency-building intensions of 424 undergraduates will be content analyzed. Data acquired through this research will be used to suggest curriculum improvements, to establish library-instructor collaborations for competency-building intentions, and to estimate the higher- end level of skills held by health information consumers in the U.S. who have the advantage of specialized training in a health-related discipline. Assessment of undergraduate and graduate students that educates them about digital health information resources will have the following benefits: (a) the participants will be better equipped to make informed decisions about their health; (b) as better educated community members with Internet access, study participants will be more likely to share high-quality health information with their less literate family members and friends; and (c) after completing their education, these health professionals will be better able to provide services to patients with low literacy and income. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Data acquired through this research will be used to suggest curriculum improvements, to establish library-instructor collaborations for competency-building intentions, and to estimate the higher-end level of skills held by health information consumers in the U.S. who have the advantage of specialized training in a health-related discipline. Assessment of undergraduate and graduate students that educates them about digital health information resources will have the following benefits: (a) the participants will be better equipped to make informed decisions about their health; (b) as better educated community members with Internet access, study participants will be more likely to share high-quality health information with their less literate family members and friends; and (c) after completing their education, these health professionals will be better able to provide services to patients with low literacy and income.