What information is needed?

Infoforwellbeing
National
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1. What information is needed?

To support people with health information it is important to understand what information is needed.

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2. Different health information needs

Each person will have different information needs. It is important to establish what they are looking for. For example, this might be information about:​ ​

  • Different treatment options or procedures​
  • Medication such as alternative drugs or drug efficacy​
  • Background information such as how the condition is diagnosed

Some people may want to hear about personal experience of living with a condition and may prefer: Left to right Image 1 of 3 Open book with person emerging from page Preference 1 biographies, Image 2 of 3 Open book with finger pointing at text Preference 2 fiction, or Image 3 of 3 Open book with pen over pages Preference 3 poetry​

3. Other types of information need

The people you come into contact with will all have different health and wellbeing needs as this diagram illustrates. These may relate to their:​

  • Physical health​
  • Mental wellbeing​
  • Community support groups ​
  • Financial support such as carer benefits ​ ​
  • Social care and welfareinformation sources are: social support: reading groups; community groups.  Rights and benefits.  Social Care information. In green: Conditions and treatments and Healthy living. Information needs are: Social care and welfare; Mental and emotional wellbeing; Physical health; and Healthy lifestyle. Below this are images of a mobile phone, laptop computer and a bookshelf

 

4. Scenario - meet Karen

  • Karen has just been diagnosed with diabetes.​
  • She is in her mid-forties and wants to know more about the condition.

In the "Good conversations and empathy" module, you learned about questioning techniques (see section 4)

You know it is important to:

  • Build rapport with Karen to create trust. This will reassure her that your discussion is confidential
  • Demonstrate active listening by using appropriate body language.
  • Ask open ended and other types of questions so you can get as much information as possible to support Karen
 Karen

5. Check your knowledge

 

6. Workbook exercise (1)

Workbook Workbook Exercise

Workbook exercise (1)
  • Karen has just been diagnosed with diabetes
  • She is in her mid-forties and wants to know more about the condition

Draft a few questions to ask Karen, using appropriate questioning techniques.

Remember you may need to ask her probing or clarifying questions to identify what she needs.

7. Karen's information needs

Your questioning identifies that Karen wants to know:

  • What causes Type 2 Diabetes and treatment options​
  • If diet and exercise can help manage her diabetes?​
  • Details of support groups she can join

You will meet Karen again in the Resources section of this module, where you will learn how to identify resources to meet her information needs.

8. Next - to move forward click the blue arrow (if this is not shown click the + sign to the right)

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