A Systematic Review of Source Selection of Health Information
Published:
Abstract:
Numerous and disparate sources of information in the modern age (interpersonal, Radio, Television, Film, and various Internet sources, etc.) mean the source(s) people choose for health information are as widespread as ever in human history. Learning the effect ingrained variables such as demographic (sex, age, education, etc.), health literacy, health status, and more is crucial for health communicators who endeavor to reach either a broad or narrow audience. The purpose of this systematic review is to find out the breadth of survey studies that are focused on finding a correlation with the source selection of health information. The EBSCO Databases (Communication Source & Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection) were searched, both forward and backward citations of the search results were included, then duplicates were removed resulting in 457 articles. Using PRISMA 2020 as a guide, peer-reviewed survey studies reported in English that captured multiple sources of health information were systematically searched for, filtered, appraised, extracted, and reviewed. After filtering and appraising, the number of studies closely examined was 16, published from 1999 to 2022. Data was extracted into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and then uploaded to AirTable for an ease-of-use visual utility. Only 12 studies found significant correlations relating to source selection of health information from their survey data, with only four in the last five years despite the tumultuous nature of health information source trust in the wake a global pandemic. This systematic review shows that while there is a history of research into correlations of source selection of health information, there should be more to better grasp at the understanding of why normal people choose a particular source for knowledge of their health.
This is the final draft of my completed Master’s work.