Description
Abstract
This study is on A study of the information needs of rural health workers in Ebikoro, Owerri north LGA of Imo state. Rural health care workers need a wide range of specialized information but have difficulties locating and accessing information resources. The research studied information needs of rural health workers in Ebikoro using distributed questionnaires. The research showed that clinical trial information is major and very important to health workers followed by health status indicators and medical research among other information sought to support their work. While discussions with colleagues and personal library and experiences ranked the best source of information which meets the information needs of health workers followed by Journal Articles among others used by rural health workers. Also, it was equally observed that rural health workers in Ebikoro accessed material mainly from personal files and colleagues’ collection(s) among others means. Equally from the analysis, about 70% of the rural health workers in Ebikoro do not have a personal computer and about 65% do not have internet connected device meaning accessing information online is restricted to a limited few. It was observed that cost and time is a major barrier to information use followed by inadequate technology and technological skill and geographical isolation. Recommendations for solving some of the information problems include providing the personalized services of a health information specialist working from a centralized rural health clearinghouse or library training of health workers on the use of information subsidizing the costs of information identification and delivery so needed information will be available on an equitable basis to all who need it when they need it and ensure maximized access through increased use of internet connected device like phones, lap-tops or computers with modem which will make online searching easier, and government provision of the local library online resources for rural usage.
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