Multiple Choice 1
Which of the following is NOT a main advantage of telemedicine?
a. It allows greater privacy for patient records.
b. It allows people in understaffed areas to receive medical attention.
c. It allows people to become better informed about health matters.
d. It can cut down on travel time for patients and caregivers.
a. It allows greater privacy for patient records.
Because patient records in general and electronic patient records in particular are vulnerable to hackers, they are a disadvantage of telemedicine.
As a counselor, you have noticed that some people are not very interested in reading health information, but they are receptive when you share the information with them. Which theory includes the idea that we are more or less receptive to health information depending on how it is presented?
a. Social judgment theory
b. Theory of motivated information management
c. Source homophily model
d. Integrated model of information semiotics
b. Theory of motivated information management
According to the theory of motivated information management, the likelihood that people will seek information depends on their perceived need for it, their coping ability, and the way in which the information is conveyed. People seek information most readily from sources they believe to be relevant, accurate, and trustworthy.
People who rely on TV news for health information are typically better informed than people who rely mostly on online health information.
False
People who rely on newspapers and Internet for health information are typically better informed than people who rely on local TV news, probably because information in writing is usually more detailed and precise than television content.
Your friend spent the afternoon in the library to research information on the desktop computers available there. This is a good example of mHealth.
True
mHealth involves the use of devices such as smartwatches, mobile phones, tablet computers, and personal digital assistants
The ___________ provided the basis for many theories to follow by proposing that we are motivated to seek information when something calls our attention to a concern, we don’t feel well informed about it, and we think information will be helpful.
a. health belief model
b. health information acquisition model
c. transitory information theory
d. information balance perspective
b. health information acquisition model
Central to this theory is the idea that people first consider how much they already know and then weigh the costs and rewards of seeking additional information
The small clinic where you work has implemented a new telemedicine program. Which of the following is a key advantage of long-distance consultations with specialists in another town?
a. Almost no scheduling is required on your end. Your patients simply sit in front of a television screen and interact with specialists miles away.
b. The process can save patients time and money.
c. The privacy of online information is completely guaranteed.
d. The technology is fairly cheap and easy to use.
b. The process can save patients time and money.
One reason many health care providers reject eHealth initiatives, like electronic medical records, is because they are hard to use. Scholars recommend something called “participatory design” to help combat usability problems. Which of the following options best describes participatory design?
a. Asking for users’ opinions after an initiative has gone to market
b. Soliciting users’ evaluation and feedback during beta testing
c. Involving users from product conception to completion
d. Asking for users’ opinions during and after product installation
c. Involving users from product conception to completion
Participatory design is an approach that actively involves a technology’s intended users from product conception to completion
Evidence suggests that online health information is most useful when it helps us accomplish a particular goal as opposed to learn general information about a health issue.
True
Online searches are typically most satisfying when they help people meet targeted goals, such as learning how to treat a minor injury or cure a headache.
Research suggest that about three-quarters of “online diagnosers” have their diagnoses confirmed by medical professionals.
True
Only 40% have their diagnoses confirmed, which means that the majority of online diagnosers get it wrong.
While driving your car, you happen to hear a public service announcement about the dangers of shaking a baby. You don’t have a baby of your own, but you store the information away for the future. Health information _________ describes the process of encountering health information incidentally, without seeking it out.
a. synchronicity
b. passivity
c. scanning
d. efficacy
c. scanning
Health information scanning includes information that comes up in conversation or in the media and sticks in the memory
As an international student, you feel that warnings about obesity and diabetes, so common in America, aren’t very relevant to you. This idea is reinforced by your friends and family members with similar backgrounds. Which of the following theories recognizes that the way we judge health information is affected by social structures and beliefs?
a. Social equity model of health information
b. Social judgment theory
c. Integrative model of online health information seeking
d. The health-enhancement theory of social group membership
c. Integrative model of online health information seeking
The integrative model of online health information seeking posits that social structures and inequities manifest in individual differences that, in turn, influence how able and motivated people are to seek eHealth information
Which of the following statements about teens and health apps is true?
a. Only a quarter of teens actively use health apps
b. Teens tend to focus on health apps related to diet and exercise
c. Health apps are more popular with teens than adults
d. Teens tend to focus on monitoring and diagnostic health apps
b. Teens tend to focus on health apps related to diet and exercise
While only a third of teens actively use health apps, those who do tend to use mainly diet and exercise apps
People who learn about health issues online typically avoid talking to doctors about the same issues.
False
People’s online health information seeking does not replace face-to-face visits with doctors, but is often used to “bookend” visits. For example, “ePatients” go online to research their symptoms before visits and again, afterward, to supplement what providers told them about their conditions.
One major advantage for providers adopting eHealth initiatives like electronic medical records is interoperability, the ability to share and use data across multiple platforms.
False
Most electronic medical records systems used in U.S. hospitals are not interoperable.
Research shows that people are reluctant to tell their doctors they have researched their health condition online if:
a. The information they found online is confusing.
b. They aren’t confident in their online information skills.
c. They don't want to give the impression they are encroaching on the doctor’s turf.
d. They trust the information online more than they trust their doctors.
c. They don't want to give the impression they are encroaching on the doctor’s turf.
Forty-seven percent of people do not discuss what they find online with their health care providers and this can often lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Patients are also likely to stay quiet about online searches if they feel confident that they can judge the quality of online information for themselves, they are afraid their caregivers would think less of them, and they do not feel there is enough time to work the topic into a conversation
Your friend Lisa complains to you about her doctor’s new online patient portal system. She says that the portal looks hard to navigate and there are no instructions explaining how to use it. She decides she isn’t going to use it because it probably won’t be very useful. She reasons she can do things like scheduling appointments by calling her doctor’s office. Which theory best explains Lisa’s decision to avoid using the patient portal?
a. Health information acquisition model
b. Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology
c. Integrative model of online health information seeking
d. Theory of motivated information management
b. Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology
The theory posits that five main variables influence people’s intentions to use a new technology: social influence, how useful the technology is, how hard or easy it is to use, availability of helpful resources and support, and how pleasurable it is to use
Although text-based health interventions, such as Text2Quit, are popular with patients, some health professionals are hesitant to text their patients. Some of the reasons professionals are reluctant to text include:
a. Data privacy concerns
b. Blurring professional boundaries
c. Questions regarding compensation for mHealth services
d. All of the above
d. All of the above
All of these factors contribute to providers’ reluctance to text patients
Adults under age 30 are three times more likely than those 60 and older to learn about health information online.
True
Individuals ages 18 to 29 are three times more likely than those 60 and older to learn about health online, whereas nearly a third of adults over age 65 never go online
One reason telemedicine has not proliferated more than it has is that many physicians worry about being sued for malpractice for giving advice without the benefit of a full medical exam.
True
In a study of more than 4,000 physicians in the United States, 73% said they worry they will be sued for malpractice if they offer medical advice online.
Why are health promoters focusing so much energy on mHealth?
a. Mobile devices are more prevalent than laptops and computers.
b. The operating systems for mobile devices are more standardized than on laptop and desktop computers.
c. E-mail is likely to become our primary means of communicating with doctors.
d. All of the above
a. Mobile devices are more prevalent than laptops and computers.
In the U.S., as well as in emerging economies, more people own smartphones than computers. As a result, smartphones are helping narrow the digital divide
You are dismayed to find out via a letter that the results of your recent cancer screening indicate the need for further testing. You wonder why the doctor didn’t call you personally to share such worrisome news. Which theory recognizes that it is important to consider not just the nature of health information, but also how that information is conveyed?
a. Integrated model of information semiotics
b. Social judgment theory
c. Source homophily model
d. Theory of motivated information management
d. Theory of motivated information management
According to the theory of motivated information management, people seek information most readily from sources they believe to be relevant, accurate, and trustworthy
Based on coverage in the text, which of the following helps explain why telehealth is not more prevalent?
a. It is often unclear how caregivers should be compensated for services rendered long distance.
b. Telemedicine equipment is costly to install and maintain.
c. There is a lack of consumer demand.
d. All of the above.
d. All of the above.
All of these reasons help explain why telehealth is not more prevalent. Scheduling challenges, workflow disruptions, liability concerns, and compromised quality of care are also reasons telehealth is underutilized
About one quarter of the U.S. population had their health records breached in 2015.
False
One third of Americans had their health records compromised in 2015
A person who is not confident that he or she can use and understand health information is said to have high efficacy.
False
Health information efficacy refers to how confident a person is that they can find and understand health information
Which of the following best describes ePatients?
a. They tend to share what they learn with others.
b. They would rather get information online than from doctors.
c. They tend to be older than 50.
d. Most of them are coping with chronic health concerns.
a. They tend to share what they learn with others.
ePatients typically find health-related information, share it with others, investigate treatment options and more, online. They tend to be comparatively young and most say doctors are still their favorite source of health information. Many people who look up health information online and share it with others are not patients at all