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1.
Background: Consumer health information is becoming increasingly important and health policy in the UK is beginning to reflect this. This has implications for information producers, providers and users, with the move towards a more patient‐centred health service. Objectives: This review aims to provide a broad overview of the current state of consumer health information in the UK. It examines the changing roles of information producers, providers and users, exploring the impact of health literacy and new technologies. It features some of the current library and consumer health information projects taking place in the UK and discusses the role that libraries may play in the future. Methods: The article focuses on consumer health information in a policy context. It is based on the experiences of the authors' work for the Patient Information Forum and knowledge of consumer health information. A number of library and information professionals were consulted regarding the library and information projects. Conclusions: Communication between health professionals and patients, and between health educators and the public, is key in order for consumer health information to have the ability to improve health outcomes. Further, especially local, investment into the production, distribution and delivery of consumer health information is recommended. 相似文献
2.
Responsibility for the provision of consumer health information typically lies within the public library domain or the health sciences library arena. In many communities, both types of libraries provide support for consumer health information services, often with varying levels of expertise. Public library employees may or may not be trained in the use of health and biomedical information resources. Conversely, health sciences library staff may or may not be familiar with information needs of the lay public within their community. To offset these potential differences, a model was developed to assess the health information needs of community members and to provide training for public library staff regarding use of relevant electronic consumer health information resources. 相似文献
3.
Health Index Plus, a consumer health information CD-ROM database, was field-tested by staff and patrons at a public library in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ease-of-use, database content and quality, and appropriateness for audience were evaluated. Overall, patrons found the database simple to use. The contents focus on topics of popular interest and provide access to scientific material that is normally not available or comprehended by many public library users. Although some indexing problems and other shortcomings were noted, the database is recommended for public and other libraries providing consumer health information. 相似文献
4.
Katie A. Ports Antoinette Ayers Wayne Crocker Alton Hart Maghboeba Mosavel Carlin Rafie 《Journal of the Medical Library Association》2015,103(1):35-39
The purpose of this study was to understand factors that may affect the usage of a consumer health center located in a public library. More specifically, the authors wanted to know what health resources are of interest to the community, what patrons'' perceptions of their experience at the center are, and finally, how staff can increase utilization of the center. In general, perceptions of the center were positive. The findings support that participants appreciate efforts to provide health information in the public library setting and that utilization could be improved through marketing and outreach.Problems with health literacy—one''s ability to obtain, process, and understand basic information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions 1, 2—significantly limit effective dissemination and understanding of relevant health information, especially among racial and ethnic minorities where health literacy challenges are pervasive 3–5. People with limited health literacy skills have higher medical costs and use an inefficient mix of medical services 3, 6–13. This compromises their health and is a major source of economic inefficiency in the US health care system. Efforts to address low health literacy may result in reductions of health inequities, decreased medical costs, and enhanced quality of life 14. However, efforts to promote health literacy that seek to empower individuals to understand health information and act in their own interest remain an underexplored pathway to improved health outcomes 9.The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) encourages libraries to reach out to low literacy groups in their surrounding communities to address literacy challenges 15–17. These actions have resulted in development of consumer health libraries, centers where patrons can get accurate and timely health information. Preliminary investigations of consumer health libraries have reinforced the value of these services 18, 19, but there is little information regarding the provision of similar services in other public settings.The Healthy Living and Learning Center (HLLC), located in a public library in Petersburg, Virginia, was established in 2012 to provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information and community resources. According to 2010–2013 census data, 25% of Petersburg residents are below the poverty line 20. Localities surrounding the HLLC experience some of the most unfavorable health outcomes in Virginia 21. In addition, 16%–24% of citizens in the surrounding localities are illiterate 22.The public library setting provides an appropriate context to initiate consumer health centers outside of medical settings. Librarians are already being asked to meet consumer demands for health information 15–17, and the provision of accurate health information is a natural extension of the services that public libraries provide. The American Library Association reports that 62% of libraries report that they are the only source of free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities 23. According to a recent study from Pew, 35% of Americans 16 and older say they have used free Internet access points, 47% of whom have used these services to get health information 24. For a number of minorities, the public library is the only place they have Internet access 25. Thus, libraries not only remain a critical resource among the public, but may also have unique access to populations who are more vulnerable to health inequities. 相似文献
5.
Ellen L. Rubenstein 《Public Library Quarterly》2016,35(4):331-337
This article focuses on the health information needs of the State of Oklahoma, which ranks 45th among all 50 states in the health status of its citizens. A deficit in collections technology, a lack of knowledge about medical information in service staff, and poor marketing and outreach efforts in lightly populated counties and towns have worked against the provision of solid health information to the populace. The author points out how grants have provided funding for collaboration, partnerships, and training to certification (Medical Library Association’s Consumer Health Information Specialist Certification [CHIS]) for many staff as health information specialists. Although the issue of health information is still significant in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma library community has made inroads in handling a severe community problem in which the author believes that U.S. public libraries should be heavily involved. 相似文献
6.
The Health Education Center in Pittsburgh, a community-based health promotion agency which provides library services to health professionals, students, and the lay public, received a resource grant in 1981 from the National Library of Medicine to study professionals' awareness of consumer health information (CHI) materials for their patients and clients. A survey of telephone patrons and on-site library patrons provided details on health professionals' use of the CHI resource center: their areas of interest, the material formats they preferred, and the intended use of the materials. Health professionals' demand for information about consumer-oriented materials and their satisfaction with the HEC library suggest that such a resource can be a valuable asset to a community. 相似文献
7.
Objectives:Academic health sciences librarians sought to evaluate the efficacy and future of the Health Information Specialists Program, a five-year consumer health information outreach collaboration with public libraries across the state.Methods:Five focus groups were held with participants from all five years of the program. Thirty-four participants from the program attended. Facilitators used structured interview guides consisting of eleven questions regarding the impact of the collaboration on participants'' abilities to connect themselves or others to health information; the usefulness of materials or knowledge gained and its applications; any consumer health outreach projects that arose from the program; and suggestions for future topics, formats, or modifications. Data was hand-coded and analyzed using the framework analysis methodology for qualitative research.Results:Participants reported feeling improved confidence and comfort in providing health information services to their patrons. Numerous instances of knowledge transfer—in their personal lives, with their colleagues, and for their patrons—were described. Participants reported improved abilities to both find and evaluate consumer health information, and many adapted class materials for their own programming or teaching. Suggestions were provided for future class topics as well as a program website.Conclusion:Based on data from the five focus groups, the Health Information Specialists Program has positively impacted participants in a number of ways. Primary among these were self-reported improvement in both health information retrieval skills and the ability to evaluate the reliability of health information online, as well as in the confidence to help patrons with their health information needs. 相似文献
8.
Calabretta N 《Medical reference services quarterly》1996,15(3):13-22
The health care environment of the 1990s demands that hospital libraries develop creative strategies for providing consumer health information (CHI). Librarians at the Reuben L. Sharp Health Sciences Library at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center have developed a multifaceted approach to the problem. Using a combination of institutional resources, private funding, and cooperative arrangements with public libraries, the Sharp Library helps to serve the consumer health information needs of the southern New Jersey community. 相似文献
9.
Consumer health information has become an accepted and fast-growing facet of the consumer movement. The questions now center on the feasibility of providing such information and the best way of offering this service in the hospital setting. This paper examines one hospital-based lay health library and discusses staffing, services, administration, physical facilities, accessibility, and librarian liability. 相似文献
10.
K H Smith 《Medical reference services quarterly》2001,20(3):13-21
Health InfoNet of Jefferson County is a new collaborative consumer health information service of the Jefferson County public libraries and the UAB Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. Working with the input and cooperation of local voluntary health agencies, health care professionals and other health information providers, the intent is to improve the efficiency with which consumers might access such information while avoiding duplication of effort on the part of the information providers. Various considerations in InfoNet's mission include providing service not only to established library and Internet users, but also those on the other side of the "digital divide" as well as those with low literacy skills or English as a second language. The role of health care professionals in guiding their patients to the best consumer health information resources is emphasized. 相似文献
11.
May G. Kennedy Laura Kiken Jean P. Shipman 《Journal of the Medical Library Association》2008,96(1):42-49
Problem: Four consumer health information centers in Richmond, Virginia, provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information. Because they may not be fully utilized at present, an exploratory marketing study of factors affecting usage of the centers was conducted.Method: Observers counted center passers-by and tracked their paths. Also, brief intercept interviews were conducted with people who had just used a center, people nearby who could have used one but did not, and people on the street. Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with key informants.Results: There was a high degree of satisfaction with the centers among users. Nonusers universally endorsed the center concept. However, most passers-by did not even glance at the centers, and intercept interviewees suggested better signage and promoting the resource centers through various media channels. Key informants added suggestions about interpersonal strategies (e.g., physician referrals) for center usage promotion but cautioned that a large increase in traffic could not be accommodated without increasing staff size or shifting from a model of individualized service.Conclusions: Triangulating findings from multiple data collection methods can provide useful guidance for efforts to promote center utilization. At minimum, steps should be taken to make the largest centers more noticeable. Because center utilization is not only associated with consumer satisfaction with hospitals, but may also foster health literacy, both hospital-based and community-based usage promotion strategies may be warranted. All such promotional strategies should be audience-tested before they are adopted.
Highlights
- Both users and nonusers of consumer health information centers said they would think more highly of a hospital with a center and would refer friends or family members to such a center.
- Study participants classified as nonusers of the centers were unaware of the centers or found them hard to locate.
- Suggestions for increasing center traffic ranged from improving signage to promoting routine referrals from hospital staff.
- An alternative to increasing center traffic is delivering information to places where consumers are located.
Implications
- Those responsible for making funding decisions about health information centers should be made aware that hospitals with health information centers are perceived more positively.
- The potential trade-off between intensive, personalized customer service and serving large numbers of consumers must be considered carefully.
12.
Wood FB Lyon B Schell MB Kitendaugh P Cid VH Siegel ER 《Bulletin of the Medical Library Association》2000,88(4):314-322
In October 1998, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) launched a pilot project to learn about the role of public libraries in providing health information to the public and to generate information that would assist NLM and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) in learning how best to work with public libraries in the future. Three regional medical libraries (RMLs), eight resource libraries, and forty-one public libraries or library systems from nine states and the District of Columbia were selected for participation. The pilot project included an evaluation component that was carried out in parallel with project implementation. The evaluation ran through September 1999. The results of the evaluation indicated that participating public librarians were enthusiastic about the training and information materials provided as part of the project and that many public libraries used the materials and conducted their own outreach to local communities and groups. Most libraries applied the modest funds to purchase additional Internet-accessible computers and/or upgrade their health-reference materials. However, few of the participating public libraries had health information centers (although health information was perceived as a top-ten or top-five topic of interest to patrons). Also, the project generated only minimal usage of NLM's consumer health database, known as MEDLINEplus, from the premises of the monitored libraries (patron usage from home or office locations was not tracked). The evaluation results suggested a balanced follow-up by NLM and the NN/LM, with a few carefully selected national activities, complemented by a package of targeted activities that, as of January 2000, are being planned, developed, or implemented. The results also highlighted the importance of building an evaluation component into projects like this one from the outset, to assure that objectives were met and that evaluative information was available on a timely basis, as was the case here. 相似文献
13.
14.
Lana V. Ivanitskaya Kaitlyn A. Hanisko Julie A. Garrison Samantha J. Janson Danielle Vibbert 《Journal of the Medical Library Association》2012,100(4):277-283
Objective:
The research identified the skills, if any, that health preprofessional students wished to develop after receiving feedback on skill gaps as well as any strategies they intended to use to address these gaps.Methods:
A qualitative approach was used to elicit students'' reflections on building health information literacy skills. First, the students took the Research Readiness Self-Assessment instrument, which measured their health information literacy, and then they received individually tailored feedback about their scores and skill gaps. Second, students completed a post-assessment survey asking how they intended to close identified gaps in their skills on these. Three trained coders analyzed qualitative comments by 181 students and grouped them into themes relating to “what skills to improve” and “how to improve them.”Results:
Students intended to develop library skills (64% of respondents), Internet skills (63%), and information evaluation skills (63%). Most students reported that they would use library staff members'' assistance (55%), but even more respondents (82%) planned to learn the skills by practicing on their own. Getting help from librarians was a much more popular learning strategy than getting assistance from peers (20%) or professors (17%).Conclusions:
The study highlighted the importance of providing health preprofessional students with resources to improve skills on their own, remote access to library staff members, and instruction on the complexity of building health literacy skills, while also building relationships among students, librarians, and faculty.Highlights
- After receiving feedback on skill gaps, most preprofessional health students intend to develop their information literacy skills.
- Some students report that a trip to the library is a barrier to using library resources.
- Students see the need to build their information evaluation skills, knowledge of citations and plagiarism, and library skills, which they differentiate from Internet skills.
- Students are more likely to identify librarians as sources for assistance in finding information than faculty or peers after receiving individual feedback explaining the role of libraries and library staff members.
Implications
- Students'' health information competencies can be built through assessment and feedback that reveals skill gaps, highlights misconceptions, and offers ideas on how to improve.
- Access to professionally designed self-study resources is needed for students who intend to develop health information competencies on their own.
15.
The Internet has made accessing information a simple task. Each day millions of Americans log on to the Web in search of information on a variety of subjects. One of the most sought after type of information is medical information. Individuals are taking a more proactive role in their personal health care and the health care of their friends and families. Attempting to locate and evaluate quality health care information can pose a variety of problems for the consumer. Academic libraries have an opportunity to play a crucial role in facilitating the consumer's access to quality, reliable health information by developing and implementing consumer health outreach programs designed to address search problems and information interpretation difficulties. The benefits for both the community and the library are numerous when a consumer health information outreach program is successfully employed. This article will chronicle the creation of a Consumer Health Outreach program, entitled "WNY Consumer Health," intended for senior citizens in Western New York. This program was designed to satisfy the requirements of a graduate special project for the completion of the authors' MLS degree. 相似文献
16.
Lili Luo 《Public Library Quarterly》2018,37(3):233-247
ABSTRACTHealth information programs, defined as library programs focusing on health-related topics, are an essential way for public libraries to reach out to their user communities, raising awareness of and interest in healthy lifestyle, promoting access to quality health information, and ultimately enhancing health literacy of the citizenry. This study presents a content analysis of the health information programs provided by a large urban public library system in the past year, seeking to strengthen the professional understanding of how public libraries can contribute to health literacy improvement through effective programming, and help other libraries gain insights on health information program planning and implementation. 相似文献
17.
18.
A nationwide survey study was conducted to gain understanding as to how to prepare public librarians for consumer health information service. Findings indicate that the popular health information needs encountered by public librarians cover a wide variety of topics, including the human body, a medical/health condition, a disease, a medical concept, and fitness/diet/nutrition. The top two challenges faced by public librarians when providing consumer health information service are difficulty in interpreting patrons' questions and lack of knowledge about available and trusted/appropriate medical/health information sources. Public librarians wish to receive training on a number of topics that could help address the challenges they face, and the most favorable training format for them, among all the options provided in the survey, is the self-paced online tutorial. This study constitutes the basis for establishing training requirements and developing training programs to meet the needs of public librarians. Their mastery of the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies via training will lead to effective and efficient delivery of consumer health information service in public libraries, and ultimately generate optimal patron experiences. 相似文献
19.
ABSTRACT The Internet has made accessing information a simple task. Each day millions of Americans log on to the Web in search of information on a variety of subjects. One of the most sought after type of information is medical information. Individuals are taking a more proactive role in their personal health care and the health care of their friends and families. Attempting to locate and evaluate quality health care information can pose a variety of problems for the consumer. Academic libraries have an opportunity to play a crucial role in facilitating the consumer's access to quality, reliable health information by developing and implementing consumer health outreach programs designed to address search problems and information interpretation difficulties. The benefits for both the community and the library are numerous when a consumer health information outreach program is successfully employed. This article will chronicle the creation of a Consumer Health Outreach program, entitled “WNY Consumer Health,” intended for senior citizens in Western New York. This program was designed to satisfy the requirements of a graduate special project for the completion of the authors' MLS degree. 相似文献
20.
A research project was conducted with the primary objective of finding out what New Zealand hospitals are doing about providing consumer health information to patients, and specifically, the role played by hospital libraries. A database was compiled of all New Zealand hospitals, both public and privately funded. An individual responsible for consumer health information was identified at each hospital and a questionnaire sent directly to them. A 64% response rate was achieved, representing 196 hospitals. Fifty‐four hospitals reported having an in‐house Library or Information Centre for patients, but the materials and services provided varied widely. Results from this survey show that the provision of consumer health information in the hospital sector in New Zealand is ad hoc, and libraries are not necessarily involved. 相似文献