ReviewDigital health
Facilitators and barriers to health information-seeking behavior in cancer patients: A meta-synthesis.
Review in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to synthesize existing qualitative evidence to explore the complex facilitators of and barriers to health information-seeking behavior (HISB) among cancer patients. Methods: Guided by the PRISMA framework, a systematic search was conducted across multiple English and Chinese databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang. Study quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools. Evidence from 12 eligible qualitative studies involving 230 patients was integrated and synthesized using the JBI meta-aggregation approach. Results: The synthesis revealed a multifaceted interplay of factors influencing HISB. Patients' behaviors are primarily driven by an internal psychological process, navigating a dynamic tension between acquiring knowledge to regain a sense of control and avoiding potentially distressing information to preserve hope. Furthermore, these behaviors are significantly shaped by external contexts, particularly the dynamics of patient-provider communication, family roles, and cultural beliefs, giving rise to a complementary "online preparatory search and offline verification" strategy. Ultimately, the ability to translate information-seeking intentions into effective action is closely tied to individual competencies, including health literacy, digital literacy, and accessible socioeconomic resources. Conclusions: This review synthesizes the facilitators of and barriers to HISB, revealing a complex system shaped by internal states, external contexts, and personal capacities. Effective information support must therefore extend beyond mere information provision to incorporate dynamic, multi-level, and personalized strategies that are responsive to patients' psychological needs, cultural backgrounds, and resource realities. The findings provide a consolidated evidence base and a holistic understanding for developing patient-centered, contextually adapted, and digitally informed health information support practices.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.