Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Health Professionals at Kalingalinga Clinic

Abstract

Information is inevitable in the health profession. The need to become informed and knowledgeable leads to information seeking behaviour processes which is important among qualified health professionals who have vital roles in achieving health goals of a given country. However, in Zambia little is known about information needs of health professionals as a result it might be difficult to assemble and provide current information that is relevant for taking care of patients. Therefore, the general objective of this study was to assess information needs and seeking behaviour of health professionals at kalingalinga clinic. The study used a case study research design and qualitative data was collected using semistructured interview guides. Purposive sampling was used to select a study sample of 15 health professionals to participate in the study. Thematicanalysis was used to analyze qualitative data from the 15 respondents. It was found that health professionals usually consult colleagues when seeking information due to few ICT facilities and recent textbooks at the clinic. The technology of ten used were smart phones as it was easy to search using smartphones. However, slow internet was a challenge due to lack of Wi-Fi at the clinic and funds to purchase bundles. It was recommended that the clinic needs more ICT equipment to improve the performance of various departments and training health professionals on computer technologies in order to impart them with skills on how to operate various ICTs.