Parenting Through Digital Information Work: Online Health Information-Seeking and Generative Artificial Intelligence Use Among Parents of Children With Chronic Illness in Singapore.
Journal:
Journal of family nursing
Published Date:
Oct 12, 2026
Abstract
Parents of children with chronic illness seek health information from online sources, but little is known about this work in Asian family caregiving and with new generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. To explore how parents seek, evaluate, and integrate digital health information and generative AI into family caregiving, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 English-speaking parents and conducted reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were developed: (a) navigating online information credibility and responsibility; (b) strategic platform use for distinct informational and emotional needs; (c) online searching as anticipatory and labor-intensive sense-making; and (d) the impacts of and gaps in online searching. Parents strategized, used AI for information and perceived emotional support, and often consulted clinicians and peers. Digital information work is a consequential component of family caregiving. Family nurses should discuss parents' digital and AI use, guide families to locally relevant resources, and address misinformation and privacy risks.
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