Information Matters: How do consumers find out about pharmaceuticals?

Information Matters: How do consumers find out about pharmaceuticals?

Date of publication: December 2005

ISBN-478-29608-8 (Book) 0-478-29611-8 (Internet)

HP 4128

Suggested citation: Health Services Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington and the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit. 2005. Information Matters: How do consumers find out about pharmaceuticals? Report to the Ministry of Health, November 2004. Wellington: Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health funded the Health Services Research Centre at the Victoria University of Wellington to produce a report on the sources that consumers use, would like to use, and trust when they are seeking information on pharmaceuticals and related treatments.

Information Matters: How do consumers find out about pharmaceuticals? provides an in-depth analysis of current literature on health information research and feedback from six focus groups, convened by The Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit, on preferred sources for health information.

The report includes information on:

the various sources of information consumers use to inform themselves
the sources of information that consumers would like to use
the content and level of information required and assessed
variations between individuals or groups and the reasons for this
the level of trust in different types of information and information provided.

The views expressed in this report are the personal views of the authors and should not be taken to represent the views or policy of the Ministry of Health or the Government.

Document availability

The full text of this document is available in PDF and Word format below.

Information Matters (Word, 460 kB)
Information Matters (PDF, 692 kB)

Read our copyright information

Go to information about ordering and downloading publications