Health e-Links

Abstract

Meeting public health information needs in a rural setting presents unique problems for health information providers. Getting this information to both health consumers and health care personnel is equally challenging. Further complicating this problem is a scarcity of hospitals in the 29 parishes of north Louisiana. To meet this challenge, the Health Sciences Library at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center/Shreveport (LSUHSC/S) set out to develop the Web site “Health e-Links” http://www.healthelinks.org. This site was promoted through the public librarians in the northern part of the state. Finally, searching strategies were taught to these librarians using the facilities of the LSUHSC/S teleconferencing network.     

FROM THE EDITORS

Abstract

As the need for electronic consumer health information services becomes more evident, librarians are seeking ways to cooperate with each other to provide timely and high quality health information. Collaborative projects between public, academic, and health sciences libraries take commitment, resources, and dedication, but provide a unique method of providing this information to a public whose need for high quality health information is growing exponentially. This article explores the efforts that have been made by public, academic, and medical libraries to bring information to the health care consumer and suggests ways to make collaborative efforts work to provide electronic access to up-to-date and quality health information.     

Healthy Web Sites

Abstract

Consumers are increasingly looking to the Internet to find answers to their medical questions. In an effort to help consumers find the most reliable information, Healthnet: Connecticut Consumer Health Information Network, at the University of Connecticut Health Center Library, launched a program called “Healthy Web Sites.” The program has three main content areas: (1) evaluating Web sites for quality and reliability; (2) how to find current research information on a disease or disorder; and (3) locating information on the credentials of physicians and other health care providers.     

Using Web sites on quality health care for teaching consumers in public libraries

More and more consumers are searching the Internet for health information. Health Web sites vary in quality, though, and not all consumers are aware of the need to evaluate the information they find on the Web. Nurses and other health providers involved in patient education can evaluate Web sites and suggest quality sites for patients to use. This article describes a project we implemented in 2 public libraries to educate consumers about quality health care and patient safety using Web sites that we had evaluated earlier. Participants (n = 103) completed resources on health care quality, questions patients should ask about their diagnoses and treatment options, changes in Medicare and Medicare options or ways to make their health benefits work for them, and tips to help prevent medical errors. Most consumers were highly satisfied with the Web sites and the information they learned on quality care from these resources. Many participants did not have Internet access at home or work and instead used the library to search the Web. Information about the Web sites used in this project and other sites on quality care can be made available in libraries and community settings and as part of patient education resources in hospitals. The Web provides easy access for consumers to information about patient safety initiatives and health care quality in general.     

Quality Assurance in eHealth for Consumers

Abstract

As millions of consumers turn to the Internet for health information, it is imperative that consumer health librarians teach them the skills needed to find trustworthy health information. This article examines important quality criteria for consumer health Web sites and reviews some top health Web sites that demonstrate quality.     

Federal Practice Guidelines for Consumers and Patients http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer

Abstract

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a federal agency that produces “Clinical Practice Guidelines” for health care professionals. The “consumer” version of their Web site provides information on prevention and advice on obtaining the best quality health care.     

Reading Difficulty Level of Medical Resources on Television Web Sites

ABSTRACT

Mass media plays a critical role in communicating health messages to the public. Local television stations are posting more health content on the Web; however, the difficulty level of this information has not been evaluated. Study objectives were to assess the content of health stories on local television Web sites, and to evaluate the reading level of these health messages. The top three health articles from 79 local television news Web pages were selected for analysis. Readability was assessed using SMOG, Flesch-Kincaid (FK), and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE). A total of 278 articles were located over a two-day search. The majority of stories were national (47.0%) and educational (48.0%) pieces. Fewer articles were breaking news (19.8%). More articles focused on both prevention and treatment (30.6%) rather than on prevention (21.6%) or treatment (21.2%) alone. Mean readability was at a senior high school level according to SMOG (Grade 11.9) and FK (Grade 10.3). Overall FRE was 51.6, implying a “fairly difficult” reading style. As broadcast news media mobilizes viewers toward online health content, they must consider the difficulty of the information and literacy abilities of their audience.     

Perceived eHealth Literacy and Information Behavior of Older Adults Enrolled in a Health Information Outreach Program

In collaboration with a public library system, faculty from a health sciences center library offered a series of courses for older adults based on the NIHSeniorHealth Toolkit for Trainers. A mixed-methods survey was offered to all program attendees during the training sessions. The survey assessed participants’ perceived eHealth literacy, which websites they searched for eHealth information, participants’ most/least trusted sources of health information, and if/what barriers exist for older adults when searching for eHealth information. Results from this pilot program indicate that participants believe access to eHealth resources is important and useful, but are unsure what online resources are available, how to find them, or how to evaluate their quality.     

MedlinePlus Goes Local in NC

ABSTRACT

NC Health Info is a collection of online North Carolina-based health services Web sites that links seamlessly with health information on MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's consumer health information Web site. NC Health Info is the result of a pilot study to define the components involved in creating such a system, and serves as a model to be used by other states wishing to connect their own collections of health services with MedlinePlus. This paper addresses the seven major challenges faced during development and the tactics used to overcome those challenges.     

HealthInfoIowa

Abstract

No shortage of health information exists on the Internet, but how does the consumer know what is accurate and reliable? What criteria should one use when judging the credibility of a Web site? When the searcher does not find the information he is seeking, where can he go for assistance? In Iowa, he can begin with HealthInfoIowa http://www.HealthInfoIowa.org, a consumer health information Web site sponsored by the State Library of Iowa, the Iowa Department of Public Health, the University of Iowa Hardin Health Sciences Library, Iowa Methodist/Lutheran/Blank Hospitals in Des Moines, Ames Public Library, and the Iowa Substance Abuse Information Center in Cedar Rapids. This article explains why and how HealthInfoIowa was developed and the Web site links that guide the user in locating appropriate health information resources.     

Consumer Health Information Literacy Promotion Program in Public and Community Libraries in Africa: Experience from Kenya,Nigeria, Uganda,and Zimbabwe

The aim of this project was to enhance the capacity of public and community librarians in four African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe) in meeting the consumer health information (CHI) needs of their patrons. A total of 65 librarians from 34 public and community libraries were trained on how to access and use consumer health information resources by health sciences librarians in the selected countries. A needs assessment preceded the training that focused on health literacy, health information literacy, sources of health information, online information searching tools and search techniques, and how to search CHI resources, including Kidshealth.org, Womenshealth.gov, MedlinePlus, and CancerNet, among others. Each team of participating libraries received a seed grant to design and implement a consumer health activity. The trained public and community librarians in both Nigeria and Uganda conducted training on use of CHI resources to different categories of patrons. In Nigeria, high school students were trained on how to use their mobile phone to access CHI resources. Adolescents and other categories of library patrons were trained on information and communication technology (ICT) skills and accessing CHI resources in Uganda. In Kenya, the public librarian created a Consumer Health Information Corner and purchased CHI books for patrons to consult, while in Zimbabwe, the public library partnered with other non-governmental organizations to provide consumer health information materials to the library for patron use. It is possible for academic health sciences librarians to partner with public and community librarians in Africa to carry out a successful CHI project.     

Free Online Access to Medical Information

Abstract

The Internet has become a valuable resource for providing information to the public on a variety of subjects, especially public health. Lay users everywhere have access to free medical information if they know where to look and understand how to use the different tools they discover. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has made its medical database, MEDLINE, available for anyone with Internet access. The NLM offers two different MEDLINE interfaces for free searching, and a variety of other Web sites also provide free access to MEDLINE. This article discusses several of these free MEDLINE Web interfaces.     

E-Medicine and Health Care Consumers: Recognizing Current Problems and Possible Resolutions for a Safer Environment

Millions of Americans access the Internet forhealth information, which is changing the waypatients seek information about, and oftentreat, certain medical conditions. It isestimated that there may be as many as 100,000health-related Web sites. Theavailability of so much health informationpermits consumers to assume more responsibilityfor their own health care. At the same time,it raises a number of issues that need to beaddressed. The health information available toInternet users may be inaccurate orout-of-date. Potential conflicts of interestresult from the blurring of the distinctionbetween advertising and professional healthinformation. Also, potential threats to privacymay result from data mining. Health care consumers need to be able toevaluate the quality of the informationprovided on the Internet. Various evaluativemechanisms such as codes of ethics, ratingsystems, and seals of approval have beendeveloped to aid in this process. Theeffectiveness of these solutions is evaluated inthis paper. Finally, the paper addresses theimportance of including patients in developingstandardized quality assurance systems for online health information.     

A Community and Medical Library Collaboration to Address Senior Caregivers Barriers to Health Services Access

This describes an outreach program to improve access to community resources and online health information for the lay public and professionals engaged in caregiving to seniors. An academic health sciences library and a coalition of community organizations collaborated to develop an authoritative, web-enabled clearinghouse that consolidated access to regional and national health and social service resources and online health information. Findings from a mixed-methods approach of roundtable discussions, key informant structured interviews, and surveys of professionals involved in senior care planning and discharge management were used to develop, pilot test, and evaluate the project. The website was promoted through a series of webinars outlining the range of services and resources available as well as engagement with a variety of community health care organizations. This project advanced understanding of the needs of seniors and their caregivers and created mechanisms to improve access to authoritative health care information supporting senior care. Community feedback on the website launch highlights its value for the lay public and professional caregivers. It also provided a platform for volunteerism and service learning through which individuals can have a collective impact on their community.     

Education for Consumer Health: A Train the Trainer Collaboration

ABSTRACT

This project featured collaboration between a large public library system and an academic institution to address training needs related to the rise in the demand for quality consumer health information. A train the trainer program featuring hands-on training and Web-based support was designed and implemented. Public reference librarians received customized education and support to facilitate their efforts to train library users of consumer health information. The results of the collaborative effort included an increased awareness of cultural, linguistic, and literacy issues for effective provision of public library consumer health reference service along with a reaffirmation of the need for strategic community collaborations for health education.     

Nativity and language preference as drivers of health information seeking: examining differences and trends from a U.S. population-based survey

Objective: To examine differences in health information seeking between U.S.-born and foreign-born populations in the U.S.

Design: Data from 2008 to 2014 from the Health Information National Trends Survey were used in this study (n?=?15,249). Bivariate analyses, logistic regression, and predicted probabilities were used to examine health information seeking and sources of health information.

Results: Findings demonstrate that 59.3% of the Hispanic foreign-born population reported looking for health information, fewer than other racial/ethnic groups in the sample. Compared with non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black (OR?=?0.62) and Hispanic foreign-born individuals (OR?=?0.31) were the least likely to use the internet as a first source for health information. Adjustment for language preference explains much of the disparity in health information seeking between the Hispanic foreign-born population and Whites; controlling for nativity, respondents who prefer Spanish have 0.25 the odds of using the internet as a first source of health information compared to those who prefer English.

Conclusion: Foreign-born nativity and language preference are significant determinants of health information seeking. Further research is needed to better understand how information seeking patterns can influence health care use, and ultimately health outcomes. To best serve diverse racial and ethnic minority populations, health care systems, health care providers, and public health professionals must provide culturally competent health information resources to strengthen access and use by vulnerable populations, and to ensure that all populations are able to benefit from evolving health information sources in the digital age.     

Free Online Consumer Health Classes

Abstract

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides many avenues for consumers to find and evaluate online health information. In addition to the consumer health Web sites NLM has developed, there are numerous online training modules available through The National Network of Libraries of Medicine's “National Training Center and Clearinghouse's Educational Database.” This database lists available classes and provides contact information for libraries across the country that offer training and education in using the NLM Web sites and in finding and evaluating health information online.     

医护人员突发公共卫生事件知识调查分析

目的：考察突发公共卫生事件下,医护人员对事件相关知识和信息的了解状况,及其对情绪的影响。方法：采用自编调查问卷,调查一所综合性医院中各类医护人员。结果：突发公共卫生事件下,各类医护人员对与突发事件相关的知识和信息的了解以及信息来源,均无显著差异。较之本院工作人员,外院进修人员对信息透明和知情的要求最低。在知情的情况下治疗和护理SARS病人,医护人员更多体验正性情绪;而不知情的情况下的情绪反应更多是负性的。结论：在突发公共卫生事件下,应让医护人员及时充分地享有和运用各类信启、资源,增强心理储备和情绪调节,避免因信息缺失带来过多负性情绪反应。