The Information Needs and Information-seeking Behavior of Health Care Practitioners: A Case Study of Health Care Practitioners of the Narh-Bita Hospital, Tema, Ghana.

Health information plays a major role in the delivery of care worldwide. it helps physicians make informed clinical decisions for the betterment of their patients. This study examined the information needs and information-seeking behavior of health care practitioners at the Narh-Bita hospital, Tema. The study employed the survey method and a questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. A sample of 69 health practitioners were randomly selected and given questionnaires to fill. Data obtained was analyzed using frequency accounts and simple percentages. The results showed that practitioners\u27 information needs covered different clinical topic areas. The information-seeking behavior of practitioners was also found to vary towards a range of information resources with computer-based information resources being dominant. The study further revealed that the information resources consulted by practitioners had an impact on their clinical decision-making. It therefore recommended that measures should be put in place to ensure that there is reliable Internet connection for practitioners to access the open Internet and on-line databases to satisfy their numerous information needs