title: Studies analysing the need for health-related information in Germany - a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exploring health-related information needs is necessary to better tailor information. However, there is a lack of systematic knowledge on how and in which groups information needs has been assessed, and which information needs have been identified. We aimed to assess the methodology of studies used to assess information needs, as well as the topics and extent of health-related information needs and associated factors in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search was performed in Medline, Embase, Psycinfo, and all databases of the Cochrane Library. All studies investigating health-related information needs in patients, relatives, and the general population in Germany that were published between 2000 and 2012 in German or English were included. Descriptive content analysis was based on predefined categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 19 studies. Most studies addressed cancer or rheumatic disease. Methods used were highly heterogeneous. Apart from common topics such as treatment, diagnosis, prevention and health promotion, etiology and prognosis, high interest ratings were also found in more specific topics such as complementary and alternative medicine or nutrition. Information needs were notable in all surveyed patient groups, relatives, and samples of the general population. Younger age, shorter duration of illness, poorer health status and higher anxiety and depression scores appeared to be associated with higher information needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge about information needs is still scarce. Assuming the importance of comprehensive information to enable people to participate in health-related decisions, further systematic research is required.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Operative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, Building 38, D- 51109, Cologne, Germany. dawid.pieper@uni-wh.de.
authors.forename: Dawid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center at the Heinrich-Heine University, Leibniz-Center for Diabetes Research, Düsseldorf, Germany. fabian-juelich@gmx.de.|Public Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. fabian-juelich@gmx.de.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jülich
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Operative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, Building 38, D- 51109, Cologne, Germany. sunya-lee.antoine@uni-wh.de.
authors.forename: Sunya-Lee
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Antoine
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center at the Heinrich-Heine University, Leibniz-Center for Diabetes Research, Düsseldorf, Germany. Christina.baechle@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de.|, Auf'm Hennekamp 65, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. Christina.baechle@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bächle
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center at the Heinrich-Heine University, Leibniz-Center for Diabetes Research, Düsseldorf, Germany. nadja.chernyak@uni-duesseldorf.de.|Public Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. nadja.chernyak@uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chernyak
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center at the Heinrich-Heine University, Leibniz-Center for Diabetes Research, Düsseldorf, Germany. jutta.genz@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de.|, Auf'm Hennekamp 65, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. jutta.genz@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Genz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research in Operative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, Building 38, D- 51109, Cologne, Germany. Michaela.eikermann@uni-wh.de.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eikermann
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center at the Heinrich-Heine University, Leibniz-Center for Diabetes Research, Düsseldorf, Germany. andrea.icks@uni-duesseldorf.de.|Public Health Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. andrea.icks@uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Icks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety; D054626:Consumer Health Information; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D055815:Young Adult