Families are an important source of health information for many people
in both ways that you mentioned. For example, I'm almost 25 years old
and know how to search the medical literature, but I will still call my
mom and get her opinion regarding the information that I've found and
what I should do. In regards to automatic acquisition of health
information, what was done when we were growing up seems to often have a
profound impact on what we do in the present.

One way I've heard it described before is the concept of a health
gatekeeper. My mom has always been my health gatekeeper so I continue to
go back to her. For others, that gatekeeper may be their family doctor,
a friend, respected community member, etc.

Erin Braddock
Senior Analyst
West Texas Rural EXPORT Center
F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural & Community Health
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
erin.braddock at ttuhsc.edu 
 

-----Original Message-----
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:51:53 -0500
From: "Julie McKinney" <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org>
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 722] Wednesday Question: Where does health
	information come from?
To: <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>
Message-ID: <45E74AFA0200002D000014B9 at bostongwia.jsi.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Hi Everyone,

It was suggested recently that we look at a variety of ways that people
in this country interact with health information, in order to look
beyond the provider-patient interaction as a focus of our efforts. So, I
would love us all to ask around and look around this week to find out
how people get their health information. Teachers can ask students,
providers can ask patients, and all of us can ask people we know and
look at the health messages that we see every day. 

So, it's really two questions:

Where do people seek health information when they want it?

and

In what ways does health information come to us automatically?

All the best,
Julie

Julie McKinney
Discussion List Moderator
World Education/NCSALL
jmckinney at worlded.org