Parents’ and carers’ views and experiences with health information online for long-term physical childhood conditions: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis
Problem
The internet has revolutionised how people access health information online. Parents and carers frequently use the internet to seek information about childhood health conditions and treatments. Previous research has shown that parents and carers often find the volume of online health information bewildering and it is unclear how they make sense of the information they find. Several domains through which online health information can impact positively and negatively on health have been described, including finding useful information, feeling supported, influencing health behaviour and increased confidence in navigating health services.The aim of this study is to systematically review and synthesise the qualitative literature exploring parents’ and carers’ views and experiences of seeking health information online for long-term physical childhood conditions.
Approach
Systematic literature searches are currently being carried out in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and the International Bibliography of Social Science from the earliest date available to February 2018, using predefined selection criteria. The selection criteria seek qualitative primary research focusing on parents’ and carers’ views and experiences of seeking health information online for long-term childhood physical health conditions. Studies are excluded if the focus is on a mental health condition or developmental disorder of language, learning or cognition.
Findings
Searches to date have identified 11 studies for inclusion. The CASP tool will be used to extract data and assess methodological quality of included studies. Two authors will independently screen full-text articles for inclusion, extract data and assess methodological quality. Any disagreements will be resolved by a third reviewer. Thematic analysis will be used to synthesise the data.
Consequences
This review provides novel insight into how parents and carers obtain online health information. This could help clinicians understand the background information that parents and carers bring to the consultation and inform how best to signpost them towards evidence-based online information.