Carers and Technology Research Project: Information needs and technology preferences

Project Status
Completed

Chief Investigator
A/Prof Ben Harris-Roxas

Project Officer
Jessica Harper

Team Members
Lisa Woodland (SESLHD), Gurdive Webster (SESLHD)

Project Rationale

Access to good information helps carers. Caring often starts suddenly and people need to quickly learn and adapt to being the person that is proving care for the care recipient. Throughout their caring journey people need information about services, resolving problems and getting personal support. This project was undertaken to inform the SESLD Carers Program's activities to support carers in South Eastern Sydney.

Project Aim/s

In collaboration with South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), the South Eastern Research Collaboration Hub (SEaRCH) undertook qualitative research that focused on answering the following questions:

  • What are the information needs of carers?
  • Do different groups/types of carers have different information needs, and what are these?
  • What barriers do carers face when trying to access information in NSW?
  • What are existing or feasible uses of technology to meet carers’ information needs?

Project Design and Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had recently come into a caring role (within 6 months-3 years). The content of these interviews was intended to inform the development of more appropriate information resources for carers in contact with the health system, and to enhance the methods of information provision.

Dissemination

Report
Harris-Roxas, B., & Harper, J. (2019). Carers information technology project: Exploring the information needs and technology preferences of new carers in New South Wales. South Eastern Sydney Research Collaboration Hub (SEaRCH), University of New South Wales. Link
Conference presentations
Harper, J., Harris-Roxas, B., Woodland, L., & Webster, G. (2019, May 1). Who Cares? Exploring Qualitative Recruitment Methods with a Hard to Reach Carer Group. International Institute for Qualitative Methodology 17th Qualitative Methods Conference, Brisbane. https://www.ualberta.ca/international-institute-for-qualitative-methodology/conferences-workshops-and-events/qualitative-methods-conference/index.html
Harris-Roxas, B., Webster, G., & Woodland, L. (2019, September 5). “I’m beginning to realise that I am doing it tough”: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Information Needs of New Carers. South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Allied Health  Research Forum - Illuminating Ideas Together, Sydney.