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Cancer Survivors’ Use of Numerous Information Sources for Cancer-Related Information: Does More Matter?

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Abstract

A large proportion of the 14 million cancer survivors in the USA are actively seeking health information. This study builds on the informed- and shared-decision making literature, examining cancer survivors’ health information seeking behaviors to (1) quantify the number of health information sources used; (2) create a demographic profile of patients who report seeking cancer information from numerous sources versus fewer sources in five areas: cancer information overall, disease/treatment, self-care/management, health services, and work/finances; and (3) examine whether seeking cancer information from numerous sources is associated with self-efficacy, fear of recurrence, perceptions of information seeking difficulty, and resultant patient–provider communication. Data came from a survey of post-treatment cancer survivors (N = 501) who responded to a mailed questionnaire about health information seeking. Participants were divided into two groups using a median split: those who sought health information from more than five sources (numerous source seekers) and those that sought information from less than five sources (fewer source seekers). Multivariable logistic regression was used to model differential information seeking behaviors and outcomes for numerous versus fewer source seekers. On average, survivors sought cancer-related information from five different sources. Numerous source seekers were more likely to be women, have higher levels of education, and report fewer problems with cancer information-seeking. Overall, numerous source seekers were no more or less likely to discuss information with their providers or bring conflicting information to their providers. Understanding the characteristics, behaviors, and experiences of survivors who seek cancer-related information from numerous sources can contribute to informed decision making and patient-centered care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Cancer Survivorship, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, MSC 9764, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Danielle Blanch-Hartigan

  2. Behavioral Research Program, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, MSC 9671, 9609 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Kelly D. Blake

  3. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., SPH 3, Floor 7, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Kasisomayajula Viswanath

  4. Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, LW 601, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Kasisomayajula Viswanath

Authors
  1. Danielle Blanch-Hartigan
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  2. Kelly D. Blake
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  3. Kasisomayajula Viswanath
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Correspondence to Danielle Blanch-Hartigan.

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Blanch-Hartigan, D., Blake, K.D. & Viswanath, K. Cancer Survivors’ Use of Numerous Information Sources for Cancer-Related Information: Does More Matter?. J Canc Educ 29, 488–496 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-014-0642-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-014-0642-x

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