The Information Needs of Informal Carers

There has been little research that fully explores the nature and aspects of information needs of informal carers or provides a complete account of these needs. A comprehensive understanding of these needs is important because it is the first step to meeting these needs effectively. This book identifies all the potential aspects of informal carers' information needs that could be used for investigating, understanding and classifying these needs comprehensively. Three main studies were undertaken. It initially adopted a conceptual approach (study 1) to develop a framework for these aspects. Then this framework was tested, refined and validated using a qualitative approach (study 2), followed by a quantitative approach (study 3). The conceptual study involved analysing critically the existing literature on the information needs of informal carers, as well as related literature on health informatics and information needs more generally. Following this analysis, a conceptual framework was developed that encompassed the potential aspects of informal carers' information needs.