HEALTH-ORIENTED INFORMATION

FROM RESTRICTED CONTENT TO OPEN ACCESS TO MEDICAL INFORMATION

Authors

Keywords:

health information, free access, history of health, health communication, digital health

Abstract

Health is an essential human right that depends on access to qualified information to promote individual and collective well-being. Throughout human history, the dissemination and democratization of knowledge regarding diseases and treatments have varied according to social, cultural, and technological contexts. Based on these findings, this study aims to analyze the evolution of health information inscribed in human societies through a literature review directed at the descriptive practice of channels, with the intent of verifying the elements of "restricted access" and "free access". A diachronic analytical approach is adopted to understand ruptures and continuities in the transition from ancient records to complex contemporary communication networks. To achieve the proposed objective, the monographic method was adopted, using multiple case studies of YouTube channels managed by healthcare professionals, such as the Portal Drauzio Varella, Planeta Intestino, and CardioDF channels. The investigation is characterized as descriptive, with a qualitative approach, utilizing documentary research and non-participant observation as data collection techniques. In the final considerations, the study demonstrates that the evolution of health information has transitioned from restricted knowledge to broad digital dissemination, revealing that although platforms like YouTube boost free access and mitigate historical asymmetries—as observed in the Drauzio Varella channel—contemporaneity redefines "restricted access" through subtle economic barriers and market biases disguised as free access, as evidenced in the cases of the Planeta Intestino and CardioDF channels.

Author Biographies

  • José Carlos Sales dos Santos, Federal University of Bahia

    Associate Professor (full-time) at the Department of Documentation and Information (DDI), Institute of Information Science at the Federal University of Bahia (ICI/UFBA). Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Information Science (PPGCI/UFBA) for the 2023–2026 term. Ph.D. and Master’s in Information Science from PPGCI/UFBA (FAPESB scholar). Post-graduate specialist in Integrated Organizational Communication Management from the Graduate Center in Administration (NPGA/EAUFBA) and current post-graduate student in Neuropsychology at Salvador University (Unifacs). Bachelor’s degree in Library Science and Documentation from ICI/UFBA and Clinical Psychologist with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Unifacs, having completed a specialized internship in Hospital Psychology at Aristides Maltez Hospital (HAM). Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Fontes Documentais. Lead Researcher of the Laboratory of Practices in Psychology and Information Science (LAPCI) research group. Faculty Supervisor of the Interdisciplinary Academic League of Information and Health (LAINFOS/ICI/UFBA). Has experience in teaching and tutoring at the Superintendency of Distance Education (SEAD/UFBA). Research interests include: information and mental health, information practices, informational pathologies, information subjects, information needs, information anxiety and normosis, and information appropriation.

  • Jaqueline Silva de Souza, Federal University of Bahia

    Ph.D. Candidate in Information Science at the Graduate Program in Information Science of the Federal University of Bahia (PPGCI-UFBA). Holds a Master's degree in Information Science from PPGCI-UFBA, with degree recognition by the University of Coimbra (Portugal). Post-graduate specialist in Higher Education and New Technologies from the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco (Univasf). Holds a Bachelor's degree in Library Science and Documentation from UFBA. She serves as an Academic Librarian and Documentalist at Univasf, where she is the Coordinator of the Medical and Health Sciences University Library at the Paulo Afonso Campus.

  • Fabiana Costa Lavigne, Federal University of Bahia

    Fabiana Costa Lavigne holds a Bachelor's degree in Executive Secretarial Studies from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), with post-graduate specializations in Public Management and People Management. She earned her Master's degree in Information Science from the Graduate Program in Information Science (PPGCI/UFBA) and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the same program and institution. Her research focuses on human information behavior, with an emphasis on information anxiety, information behavior, and mental health in academic contexts. She serves as Vice-Lead of the research group Laboratory of Practices in Psychology and Information Science (LAPCI), conducting interdisciplinary studies that combine information, emotions, and professional practices. She has extensive experience in university management and currently serves as Executive Secretary to the Office of the Dean and the Board of Directors at the Faculty of Medicine of Bahia (UFBA), playing a strategic role in academic and administrative processes.

  • Joanice Nascimento dos Santos, Federal University of Bahia

    Master's student in Information Science, holding a Bachelor's degree in Library Science and Documentation from the Federal University of Bahia (2006) and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the Catholic University of Salvador (2002). She works as an Academic Librarian at the Federal University of Bahia. She has experience in Information Science, focusing on information practices, information behavior, and online access to information. In the field of Social Work, she has professional experience in healthcare, human resources, and basic sanitation.

  • Rufino Borges José Sitak, University of Luanda

    Formação e Percurso: Iniciou seus estudos como estudante e pesquisador no Instituto Superior de Ciências da Comunicação (ISUCIC) em Luanda, Angola, onde também esteve envolvido com a Universidade Agostinho Neto. Temas de Estudo: Suas pesquisas envolvem a gestão e o ciclo de vida de dados para garantia de segurança e qualidade da informação EDITAL N. 03/2024 RESULTADO 1ª ETAPA – PROCESSO ... - ppgci, a preservação do patrimônio em museus públicos Breve abordagem do papel dos museus públicos na ... - Dialnet e estratégias de cooperação em bibliotecas acadêmicas Rufino Borges José Sitak - Brapci.

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Published

2026-11-13

Conference Proceedings Volume

2026: XXVI ENCONTRO NACIONAL DE PESQUISA E PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM CIÊNCIA DA INFORMAÇÃO

Section

GT 11 – Informação & Saúde

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