title: [Not Available].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients' need for health information is widely recognized. The aim of this study was to determine how patients currently receive and rate this information. Additionally, we aimed to identify the needs and expectations of citizens of the autonomous region of Andalusia in this regard.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a qualitative research study involving semi-structured telephone interviews with participants. A total of 48 interviews were performed in people with different social and health profiles from a structural sample. The final selection of persons to be interviewed was made using the snow-ball sampling method. Interview material was analyzed by means of NUDIST vivo 1.1 software-aided content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The interviewees reported receiving health information mainly from healthcare personnel. Supplementary information sources were the internet, associations and publications. The interviewees expressed different degrees of satisfaction with the health information received, depending on its understandability and the amount of detail provided. The persons interviewed reported that they would like to receive all the information possible on their health-illness-care process and would prefer this information to come mainly from physicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Information about the health-illness-care process should center on practical issues. Physicians are the first and principal source of medical information and consequently communication skills should be promoted in this collective through training courses. Additionally, alternative sources of information used by citizens should be strengthened to provide high-quality health information.
authors.affiliation: Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública. Granada. España.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González Pérez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teresa Gijón Sánchez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: José Escudero Carretero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angeles Prieto Rodríguez
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carles March Cerdá
authors.forename: Ainhoa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz Azarola