Online health information seeking behavior of Croatian urological patients and liability for the violation of an individual’s right to health by disinformation

Issue title: Information Everywhere: LIDA 2023 (Libraries in the Digital Age) Conference: Part 2

Guest editors: Kornelija Petr Balog and Sanjica Faletar

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Radoja, Katarina Knol^{a; *} | Radoja, Ivan^{b; c} | Papić, Anita^d

Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Law, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia | [b] “Dr. Juraj Navro” National Memorial Hospital in Vukovar, Vukovar, Croatia | [c] Faculty of Medicine, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia | [d] Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Department of Information Sciences, Osijek, Croatia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Katarina Knol Radoja, Faculty of Law, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Stjepana Radića 13, 31 000 Osijek, Croatia. Tel.: +31 224 500; Fax: +31 224 540; E-mail: kknol@pravos.hr.

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to explore online health information seeking behavior. The method used in this study was conducting a survey by means of a questionnaire which was distributed to the urological patients of the “Dr. Juraj Navro” National Memorial Hospital in Vukovar in Croatia. The results were analysed by the SPSS statistical package utilising descriptive and inferential statistical methods (Chi-square, Mann Whitney U test). Regarding the online information sources that urological patients consult, as many as 21% of the respondents indicated that they searched for health information on Facebook. The obtained research results point to the conclusion that urological patients have a medium level of trust in online health information and indicate the need to increase the level of health literacy among patients in Croatia through various educational campaigns at the national and international level. The problem of online disinformation raises also numerous legal issues. Therefore, the legal framework of liability due to the violation of an individual’s right to health, by disinformation, was explored.

Keywords: Online health information seeking behavior, legal obligations and responsibilities, right to health, patients, Croatia

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-230040

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 411-429, 2023