Table 2 Sources of HRI for the general public

Other people as source of HRI

Healthcare professionals (n = 61)

  Unspecified healthcare professionals

36

[15, 18,19,20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 37, 42, 43, 45, 47, 49, 52, 57, 58, 62, 65, 75, 85,86,87,88, 98, 102, 111, 112, 116, 117, 119, 120, 124, 138, 140, 144]

  Doctors

33

[23, 25, 27, 33, 37, 42, 51, 53, 57, 58, 69, 72, 75, 77, 81, 88, 90, 93, 98, 101, 104, 108, 112, 113, 118, 123, 126,127,128, 133, 135, 142, 144]

  Allied Health Professionals

16

[23, 25, 38, 58, 62, 81, 82, 101, 104, 108, 111, 112, 118, 138, 142, 144]

  Nurses

8

[23, 25, 45, 81, 101, 112, 118, 144]

  Alternative medical practitioners

5

[38, 72, 112, 118, 123, 126]

Informal sources (n = 60)

  Family, friends, and/or colleagues

52

[16, 19, 20, 22, 25,26,27,28, 31, 32, 37, 38, 43, 45, 49, 53, 58, 62, 69, 70, 72, 75, 77, 81, 82, 85, 88, 98, 101, 102, 106,107,108,109, 111,112,113,114, 119, 120, 122, 123, 126,127,128, 130, 133, 135, 138, 140, 144, 145]

  Peers/people experiencing similar condition

8

[24, 25, 43, 45, 57, 86, 104, 109]

  Unspecified

5

[34, 92, 111, 116, 117]

Other professional advisor (n = 18)

  Individuals identified as scientists or having access to scientific knowledge

2

[16, 104]

  Religious practitioners

1

[123]

  Formal education figures

4

[32, 82, 104, 119]

  Government officials (including public health)

4

[16, 31, 72, 77]

  Non-government organizations/Charities

4

[31, 62, 72, 126]

  Other sources

8

[16, 22, 34, 52, 88, 111, 138, 142]

Specific settings as source of HRI

Medical (n = 14)

 Primary care

9

[25, 26, 77, 84, 86, 100, 114, 116, 126]

 Secondary care

8

[31, 38, 42, 73, 77, 84, 98, 114]

 Other

1

[31]

Community (n = 20)

  Town hall meetings

1

[20]

  Community meetings/health centres

5

[52, 77, 98, 116, 123]

  Age group meetings

1

[72]

  Churches/Religious Gatherings

8

[20, 25, 31, 52, 109, 112, 114, 116]

  Support groups

9

[33, 95, 98,99,100, 103, 113, 131, 144]

Formal education (n = 5)

  Secondary education

1

[130]

  Tertiary education

2

[82, 140]

  Unspecified education setting

3

[114, 133, 140]

Other training settings (n = 14)

 Conferences/Seminars/Lectures/Workshops, etc

14

[19, 20, 26, 31, 32, 47, 58, 62, 86, 108, 111, 112, 120, 134]

Other (n = 12)

  Libraries/Book shops

12

[20, 25, 32, 45, 51, 62, 88, 113, 117, 121, 124, 143]

Tools used in independent searches for HRI (n = 83)

Social media (n = 27)

  Social media (unspecified)

18

[16, 18,19,20,21,22, 24, 32, 45, 47, 59, 65, 81, 87, 90, 125, 139, 143]

  Facebook

5

[21, 55, 84, 101, 139]

  Twitter

3

[21, 55, 139]

  Reddit

1

[21]

  YouTube

6

[36, 55, 76, 101, 132, 139]

  WhatsApp

2

[55, 59]

  Instagram

1

[55]

  Pinterest

1

[55]

  WeChat

2

[55, 89]

  MySpace

1

[139]

  Telegram channel

2

[55, 109]

Search engine (n = 19)

  Search engine (not specified)

11

[19, 21, 24, 47, 59, 89, 90, 99, 100, 120, 125]

  Google

7

[19, 55, 70, 84, 101, 122, 128]

  Yahoo

2

[122, 145]

  Naver

1

[122]

  Database (unspecified)

1

[121]

Websites (n = 25)

  Health/disease/condition-specific websites

15

[19, 24, 28, 45, 47, 55, 62, 71, 89, 90, 93, 99,100,101, 106]

  Healthcare providers/service-related websites (physician, hospital, pharmacy, etc.)

4

[24, 47, 125, 142]

  Personal websites

2

[65, 93]

  Health insurance websites

2

[86, 142]

  Pharmaceutical websites

1

[142]

  Government websites

4

[22, 99, 100, 132]

  Online Encyclopaedias

2

[89, 125]

  Web portal

3

[85, 89, 142]

  Other unspecified websites

3

[52, 81, 93, 109]

Online Communities (n = 13)

  Online discussion forum

9

[19, 47, 57, 84, 89, 99, 100, 144, 145]

  Internet communities

1

[142]

  Chat rooms

1

[125]

  Online Q&A board/Chat reference service

3

[89, 97, 121]

Scholarly/Academic sources (n = 16)

  Medical/Health/Scientific/Academic Journals and/or magazines

13

[19, 20, 23, 27, 46, 69, 99, 113, 117, 121, 128, 136, 145]

  Textbooks/Medical Encyclopaedias

3

[15, 98, 117]

  Periodicals

1

[122]

Mass media (n = 51)

  TV (satellite, cable, etc.)

37

[15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25,26,27,28, 32, 34, 37, 45,46,47, 52, 58, 62, 70, 72, 75, 81, 84, 87, 98, 101, 107, 108, 113, 114, 124, 127, 128, 138, 144, 145]

  Radio

26

[15, 16, 19, 20, 23, 26, 27, 32, 34, 37, 45, 46, 52, 58, 62, 70, 72, 75, 81, 84, 87, 108, 112, 115, 138, 144]

  Newspapers and/or magazines (print, online)

33

[16, 19, 20, 22, 25,26,27,28, 34, 37, 38, 42, 46, 52, 58, 62, 65, 70, 72, 73, 75, 84, 87, 88, 108, 122, 126,127,128, 138, 144]

  Other mass media (unspecified)

6

[31, 49, 73, 86, 130, 140]

Phone services and applications (n = 13)

  Landlines

2

[40, 41]

  Telephone services

1

[44]

  Health help telephone lines

1

[84]

  Telephone (with whom not specified)

1

[121]

  Telephone information number

1

[88]

  Over the phone (type of phone and with whom not specified)

1

[92]

  Unsolicited text messages

1

[84]

  Electronic devices and applications

9

[24, 32, 40, 41, 59, 86, 89, 120, 126]

Various printed informational materials (n = 48)

  Poster

7

[18, 23, 25, 26, 31, 45, 142]

  Pamphlets/Leaflets/Brochures

21

[19, 23, 25, 34, 42, 45, 53, 58, 77, 86, 88, 98, 108, 114, 121, 124, 126, 127, 134, 136, 138]

  Books

27

[16, 19, 20, 26, 27, 37, 38, 42, 58, 62, 73, 75, 77, 86,87,88, 113, 116, 117, 120, 121, 126, 127, 136, 138, 144, 145]

  Print media/materials (type not specified)

6

[49, 51, 81, 84, 119, 122]

  Written (e.g. notices to health examination, test results)

1

[111]

  Newsletters

1

[65]

  Paper based guidelines/materials

3

[92, 114, 117]

Marketing materials (n = 3)

  Campaign

1

[18]

  Commercial marketing

1

[132]

  Medical bill board

1

[45]

Other online sources (n = 2)

  Online sources (not specified)

1

[72]

  Web-based health info

1

[85]

Other sources (n = 10)

  Local materials and resources (not specified)

1

[95]

  Podcast

1

[126]

  Films

1

[126]

  Non-science resources

1

[104]

  Video services

1

[59]

  Favourites lists (not specified)

1

[144]

  Worksites

1

[114]

  Video instructions

1

[134]

  Music, dance, drama

1

[84]

  Formal education assessments

1

[82]

  Postal

1

[121]