Deconstructing Cancer Patient Information Seeking in a Consumer Health Library Toward Developing a Virtual Information Consult for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers: A Qualitative, Instrumental Case Study

摘要: Background: Cancer patients and their caregivers want information about disease are interested in finding health online. Despite the abundance of cancer online, it is often fragmented, its quality highly variable, can be difficult to navigate without expert-level knowledge system. The Patient & Family Library at Princess Margaret Centre offers a broad collection high-quality staff available help patrons refine questions explore needs that they may not have considered. Objective: purpose this research study was deconstruct patrons’ information-seeking behaviors library assess feasibility replicating services provided through Web app, extending service beyond walls centre. specific aims were understand (1) how approach seeking (interface design), (2) communicate informational (information categorization metadata requirements), (3) what resources address (collection development). Methods: We employed qualitative, instrumental case behavior. population included patients, librarian, volunteers. Ethnographic observation conducted over 3 days key informant interviews with first aim. A closed card-sorting activity second aim shift logs Search Request Forms (SRFs) reviewed third Results: total 55 interactions recorded during ethnographic nine semistructured interviews. Seven patron personas identified: Newbie, Seasoned, Direct, (4) Window Shopper, (5) Collector, (6) Information Seeker, (7) Distressed. 83 participants completed exercise. participants’ conceptual clusters within similarity matrix overlapped groupings created by few differences. 161 entries log 65 SRFs analyzed determine given patrons. Most received online (61%), although almost half these required special access (47%). Conclusions: findings suggest possible replicate functions app exceptions cannot replicated These elements include journal articles or other content behind paywalls librarian’s ability encourage further discussion empathy active listening. Discussion librarian could serve predict observing seekers provide immediate connection spiritual care psychosocial support for distress. [JMIR 2017;3(1):e6]