Title: INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOR AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT GOVERNMENTAL HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CENTERS IN BAHIR DAR TOWN, AMHARA REGION, ETHIOPIA.
Authors: MULUSEW, ANDUALEM
Abstract: Background: Universal access to information for health professionals is a pre requisite for meeting the MDGs and achieving health for all strategy. In developing countries, a large proportion of the population, including health professionals have no or only poor access to health information resources due to poor infrastructures, economic related, poor attention, etc Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess information needs and seeking behavior of health professionals working at Governmental Hospitals and Health Centers in Bahir Dar town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study design using quantitative and qualitative approaches was carried out to achieve the research objectives using 350 study participants. Self-administered questionnaire and observation checklist were instruments to collect the required data. Manually edited data were entered in to computer using Epi-info version 3.5.1; further cleaned and exported to SPSS statistics version19; then cleaned again and analyzed as needed. Frequencies, cross tabulation, chi-square, Odds ratio with 95%CI, and Binary logistic regression analysis were done to describe and assess associations among variables of interest. Results: Nearly all (97.3%) of respondents reported that they need health information to update themselves and support daily activities. More than half (54%) encountered problems on their daily activities due to information limitation. Major barriers to access information were geographical, organizational, personal, economic related, educational status and time. Only 145 (42.8%) respondents have access to internet at different places with various frequencies and have shown statistically significant association (p
Description: A THESIS SUBMITTED TO SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES OF ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN HEALTH INFORMATICS.
Authors: MULUSEW, ANDUALEM
Abstract: Background: Universal access to information for health professionals is a pre requisite for meeting the MDGs and achieving health for all strategy. In developing countries, a large proportion of the population, including health professionals have no or only poor access to health information resources due to poor infrastructures, economic related, poor attention, etc Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess information needs and seeking behavior of health professionals working at Governmental Hospitals and Health Centers in Bahir Dar town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study design using quantitative and qualitative approaches was carried out to achieve the research objectives using 350 study participants. Self-administered questionnaire and observation checklist were instruments to collect the required data. Manually edited data were entered in to computer using Epi-info version 3.5.1; further cleaned and exported to SPSS statistics version19; then cleaned again and analyzed as needed. Frequencies, cross tabulation, chi-square, Odds ratio with 95%CI, and Binary logistic regression analysis were done to describe and assess associations among variables of interest. Results: Nearly all (97.3%) of respondents reported that they need health information to update themselves and support daily activities. More than half (54%) encountered problems on their daily activities due to information limitation. Major barriers to access information were geographical, organizational, personal, economic related, educational status and time. Only 145 (42.8%) respondents have access to internet at different places with various frequencies and have shown statistically significant association (p
Description: A THESIS SUBMITTED TO SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES OF ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN HEALTH INFORMATICS.
