Assessment of Information Resources Provided to Hepatitis Patients for Health Literacy by Librarians in Specialist Hospitals in North-Central, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was on the assessment of information resources provided to hepatitis patients for health literacy by librarians in specialist hospitals of a North-central, Nigeria. The study was guided by two objectives. Survey research design was adopted for the study with a total population of 1,700 hepatitis patients and twenty (20) medical librarians in the specialist hospitals studied. The sample size of the population was 313 drawn from Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size table for determining the sample size of a population. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Out of 313 copies of questionnaire administered, 254 copies were filled, returned and used for the analysis. Descriptive statistical tool involving frequency counts and percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that the types services provided in the specialist hospitals were library oriented services. The study revealed further that inadequate awareness of information resources and services, current information resources on hepatitis were factors affecting the level of health literacy among hepatitis patients in the study areas. The study recommended among others that the management of specialist hospitals in North-central, Nigeria should provide Internet services, use of e-mail, Short Message Services (SMS) in meeting the information needs of hepatitis patients and other users, create awareness of their information resources and services through library orientation, organising conferences, workshops, seminar and how they can be used to meet the information need of hepatitis patients