Developing health information literacy in disadvantaged and dependent circumstances: family nurses

Steve Buchanan from the University of Strathclyde focused on health information literacy in disengaged groups, and the challenges of developing HIL from the perspective of non-Information professionals occupying support roles. Previous research with unemployed and disengaged adolescents found that there was low IL, and low levels of reading and computer literacy. There were lots of unmet information needs, and a reliance on support workers when seeking information. Issues of dependency were compounded by an impoverished and insular existence. Young at-risk mothers had similar information problems, low IL and high dependence on support workers. So support workers have an important role as information intermediaries, particularly in situations of multiple needs, insular existence, and poor comprehension. Interactions might happen multiple times in order to help communicate health information.

This qualitative case study featured in depth examination of the practice of 6 family nurses who supported 89 young at risk mothers. Data collection methods included observation, semi structured interviews and a focus group. Nurses would discuss individual every day needs with the young mothers, along side the health needs. Nurses provided a range of physical and digital resources for the young mothers. Digital interactions were few, partly due to technology issues,  it there was also a preference among the mothers for face to face support and physical resources. Nurses were not familiar with the concept of IL, but they felt they understood the concept and felt they could support their clients with their IL. in particular they saw their role to support defining information needs, and modelling information search. The young mothers were very shy, and it was challenging to elicit Information needs. Building IL was seen to be important, but the primary responsibility was the healthcare education. Role modelling and meaningful tasks were seem to be ways to effective learning.

It could be a argued that these nurses shouldn’t have responsibility to teach IL, but if not them then who would or could take on this role. Further research is needed into appropriate pedagogical approaches for everyday information literacy teaching in the home and non standard locations.