Parents of Deaf Children Seeking Hearing Loss-Related Information on the Internet: the Australian Experience

Porter, Ann and Edirippulige, Sisira (2007) Parents of Deaf Children Seeking Hearing Loss-Related Information on the Internet: the Australian Experience. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 12 4: 518-529.

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Author Porter, Ann
Edirippulige, Sisira
Title Parents of Deaf Children Seeking Hearing Loss-Related Information on the Internet: the Australian Experience
Journal name Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank A)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2007
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1093/deafed/enm009
Volume number 12
Issue number 4
ISSN 1081-4159
Start page 518
End page 529
Total pages 12
Editor M. Marschark
Place of publication United States
Publisher Oxford University Press
Collection year 2008
Language eng
Subject C1
321299 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified
321019 Paediatrics
730111 Hearing, vision, speech and their disorders
730399 Health and support services not elsewhere classified
Abstract Parents whose children are diagnosed in an infant screening program are required to make some difficult choices about the management of the hearing loss at a time when they are emotionally vulnerable. They are required to evaluate information and outcomes regarding issues such as technology for hearing impairment, communication options, education, and rehabilitation. The World Wide Web has become an important resource of health information for both health consumers and practitioners. The ability to obtain accurate health information online quickly, conveniently, and privately provides opportunity to make informed decisions. However, little is known about the level of the use of the Internet to acquire health information, particularly in the case of parents of deaf children seeking information. This study confirms that searches for health information on the Internet are conducted primarily by mothers. In the Australian context, there is minimal online information available to families beyond early intervention. Information on education issues, mental health, and deafness or the day-to-day management of a child or adolescent with a hearing loss are neglected topics on Web sites. This study also revealed that the majority of respondents had never visited HealthInsite or Medline Plus, two gateway sites for reliable consumer health information, although the information on these sites is more generic in nature and unlikely to assist parents to make informed choices on complex issues such as communication options or education. However, the study suggested that half the parents have talked to their doctor or hearing professional about information they found on the Internet, which is an encouraging tendency.
Keyword Education, Special
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Confirmed Code

 
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Created: Wed, 14 May 2008, 14:14:33 EST by Mrs Alison Freriks on behalf of Centre for On-Line Health