Consumer Health Information
(2.5 hour course)
A Workshop for Librarians Providing Health Information to the Public
Welcome & Introductions
- Introduce instructor(s)
- Introduce participants
- Introduce course outline and materials
- Attendance sheet
What is CHI?
- Consumer Health Information and Patient Education Definition
Consumer health information (CHI) is information on health and medical
topics provided in response to requests from the general public, including
patients and their families. In addition to information on the symptoms,
diagnosis and treatment of disease, CHI encompasses information on health
promotion, preventive medicine, the determinants of health and accessing
the health care system.
Patient education is a planned activity, initiated by a health professional,
whose aim is to impart knowledge, attitudes and skills with the specific
goal of changing behavior, increasing compliance with therapy and, thereby,
improving health.
CHI and patient education overlap in practice, since patient behavior may
change as a result of receiving health information materials. Patient
education and CHI often differ in terms of the setting in which the
process occurs, rather than in terms of the subject matter. - from The
Librarian's Role In The Provision Of Consumer Health Information And
Patient Education
http://caphis.njc.org/caphis_statement.html.
Consumer Health Information Sources
- Family Doctor, Office Staff, Pamphlets in doctor's office
- Pharmacy/Pharmacist
- Family and Friends
- Newspapers, Magazines
- Public Libraries, Medical Libraries (if open to the public)
- TV, Radio
- Internet
Networks, Partnerships, and Referrals
- Network Members or Partners
- The Role of Health Science Libraries (Hospital and Academic)
- The Role of Public Libraries
- The Role of Community/Public Health Organizations
- The Role of the Librarian
- Public Libraries (the primary access point for patrons seeking CHI)
- Medical Libraries (the authoritative source, but not always open to the public)
- Networks and Partnerships (training, resource sharing, referrals, ILLs, listservs)
- NLM (evaluator, provider, enabler, supporter)
- NN/LM (program developer, promoter, supporter, collaborator, educator)
The Interview
- Confidentiality
- Empathetic listening
- Non-judgmental
- Listen more - talk less
- Who is the information for?
- Are the terms correct?
- Is it spelled correctly?
- Do you need to refer the patron back to the
doctor for the correct term/spelling?
"One challenge medical librarians meet when they meet consumers
is that medical librarians are not trained in handling emotional
issues and the emotions consumers bring in with them.
Behind the factual questions, a consumer often has unstated or
hidden questions like: What is wrong with me...? How serious is it...?
Will I need surgery...? How much does it cost?... How will
it affect my life...?"
Disclaimers
Legal Concerns: Guidelines on Medical Questions
http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/ref/star/chapter9.html
e.g., NLM and MEDLINEplus: It is not the intention of NLM to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide users with information to better understand their health and diagnosed disorders. Specific medical advice will not be provided, and NLM urges you to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.
"Be careful of reading health books. You may die of a misprint."- MARK TWAIN
BREAK - 15 minutes
Evaluating Online Resources
- Authority - author(s), editor(s), advisors, board of directors
- Contact Information
- Content Accuracy
- Currency
- Purpose
- Audience
- Readability
- Organization
- Site Maintenance
Tools to Use for Web Site Evaluation
-
the following sites provide guidelines for evaluating health
information on the Web.
NLM Systems
Conclusion
Final Questions and Answers
MLA Evaluations/Instructor Questionnaire
MLA CE Certificates
