Informed and Healthy : Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on the Value of Information to Health Care

Informed and Healthy: Theoretical and Applied Perspectives on the Value of Information to Health Care focuses on two major issues: the value attributed to information by users and its effect on health care; and, a new model of information behavior in which the value of information drives various information activities (unlike many information models which tend to give prominence to information needs). The inductive development of the model is explained, with associated implications for theory and transferability or applicability elsewhere. The book uses a case study of the health information system in Uganda and expands the analysis by comparing it to other systems utilized by different countries in diverse levels of development. Topics such as access and use of information; value attribution and effect on health outcomes; and modelling information behavior and its implications on health informatics are discussed in detail. This book is a valuable resource for health professionals, planners, and policy makers, as well as researchers interested in health information systems and their applicability in different environments.