404P
MEETING TREATMENT INFORMATION NEEDS OF HIV/AIDS COMMUNITY MEMBERS: SOURCES AND METHODS
L O'Grady
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Many reports have been published about consumers using the web for health purposes, the HIV/AIDS community is no exception. Some research has even indicated that web use by PHAs is correlated with improved knowledge of the illness and strategies for coping. However, no research has been published describing how HIV/AIDS learners compliment their use of the web with other sources such health care professionals, AIDS service organizations (ASOs), and peers to collaborate in knowledge sharing. The purpose of this study was to investigate how members of the HIV/AIDS community collaborate to meet HIV/AIDS treatment information needs and what role online communications play in meeting this goal.
Study participants were recruited through local ASOs in Toronto, Ontario, which has a large HIV/AIDS community. A screening survey was used to match participants where possible on various demographics including gender, age and income. A total of twenty-three participated in four focus groups, two groups of men and two with women.
Participants used a wide variety of resources to meet their information needs including the web, ASOs, print, peers and health care professionals. Negative comments about some sources were shared. Credibility of content in relation to the source was one common theme. Many collaborate with others to share knowledge about treatment issues. Some have distinctive sequences by which this process is attended.
The means by which HIV/AIDS learners engage in to meet their information needs is complex and can involve collaboration. However, few of these participants are sharing their knowledge in online forums, which may affect the ability of others more remotely located to learn from their experiences. Those who rely mainly on the web for information and collaboration may be disadvantaged, as information is not been shared via this mechanism.