HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS AND THEIR USE OF COMMUNICATION MEDIA (MEDIA USE).
Contributors: Ohio State University.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 152
Subjects: Mass Communications.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, General.
Description: This naturalistic investigation was conducted in a hospital setting, where individuals have limited options to choose rewarding experiences. Communication media, such as the telephone, television, and print material have the capacity to provide gratifying experiences for hospitalized patients. The media entertain, inform and compensate negative states. A convenience sample of 60 patients was recruited from 2 medical units and an orthopedic surgery unit. Data collection techniques were triangulated, with data gathered through media use logs and interviews and from the respondent's medical record. Techniques for analysis were triangulated using qualitative and quantitative procedures. The television was the dominant medium in the therapeutic environment. The most frequent choice in television programming was news and information, with comedy programs ranked second. In explaining their media choices, patients more often cited transient gratifications associated with intellectual stimulation and arousal/enjoyment over compensatory motives.

The telephone was used primarily to keep intact psychological neighborhoods with family and friends. A correlation performed between the number of visitors and the number of phone calls proved positive. The telephone was often used to transfer information at times of uncertainty, such as to report changes in medical progress. Differences in media use between those in private and those in semi-private rooms were not observed in analyses using t-tests. An ANOVA analysis was conducted to determine factors associated with greater use of media. Age, race, physical mobility, and mood day 1 * gender proved to be significant. Media use tended to decrease with increasing age. African-Americans were heavy users of media. Dysphoric males were the heaviest users of media, whereas females in negative moods tended to avoid the media. Also, those who were more dependent physically were apt to use more media.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-05, Section: A, page: 1580.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, 1993.

School code: 0168.