Navigating the maze

Navigating between levels of information

"At present, individuals who want online medical information through the NHS have to access a combination of the main NHS website, local NHS websites or NHS Direct Online. This means that more specific, local information is supplied by local websites whereas more generic, national information is supplied by national websites. In practice, this division of labour across websites means that patients have to navigate between levels when working out how information applies to them, with paper documentation (leaflets, appointment cards, etc.), trial and error, face-to-face interactions with medical personnel and prior experience used to fill in any gaps. Even as the service has become more interactive, personal and local, it remains difficult to navigate because health information reflects the different levels at which health services operate".

Kierans C, Mair M, Assessing the effectiveness of new health information and communication technology in providing support to patients with breast cancer receiving treatment with Liverpool NHS" 2006.  Download the full report  | Download