Consumer Health Information
(4 hour course)
A Workshop for Librarians Providing Health Information to the Public
Welcome & Introductions
- Introduce instructor(s)
- Introduce participants
- Introduce course outline and materials
- Go over information on computer lab/facilities breaks
- Attendance sheet
- Start web browsers
What is CHI?
- CHI is defined as any information that enables individuals
to understand their health and make health-related decisions for themselves
and their families (Patrick and Koss, 1995). This includes information
supporting individual and community health promotion or enhancement,
self-care, shared decision making (professional-patient), patient education,
rehabilitation, using the health care system, selecting insurance or a
provider. It can be actively sought, or provided through campaigns
targeting specific health issues.
To be effective, CHI must be tailored to the interests, literacy, language,
cultural background, emotional state and desire of its user (Patrick and
Koss, 1995). Consumer Health Information "White Paper"
http://www.nist.gov/
- 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.mlanet.org/resources/caphis_statement.html
Trends Driving Consumer Health Information
Issues in Consumer Health Information
see also
Working Draft White Paper: Criteria for Assessing the Quality of Health
Information on the Internet
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
Who is Formally Involved in the Dissemination of CHI?
- 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)
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
see also The Librarian's Role in the Provision of Consumer Health
Information and Patient Education
http://caphis.mlanet.org/resources/caphis_statement.html
The Interview
- with a demonstration of Interview
skills and techniques by the instructor.
- 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?
see also Guidelines on Medical Questions
http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/ref/star/chapter9.html
"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
OR this is Information ONLY - NOT Advice,
NOT A Recommendation, Not an Interpretation and DEFINITELY
NOT A Diagnosis - with an exercise on locating and examining
disclaimers on health information sites selected by participants.
http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/ref/star/chapter9.html
Samples:
HEALTHWEB: Consumer Health is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services.
Any medical or other decisions should be made in consultation with your doctors. UIC and the Library of the health Sciences will not be held liable for any complications, injuries or other medical accidents arising from or in connection
with the use of or reliance upon any information on the web.
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.
ADAM.COM:The Content is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad
consumer understanding and knowledge of health care topics. The information should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation or advice of your physician or other health care provider. Information obtained by using the Website is not exhaustive and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions or their treatment. Should you have any health care-related questions, please call or see your physician or other health care provider promptly. User should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. User is encouraged to consult other sources and confirm the information contained within the Website.
"Be careful of reading health books. You may die of a misprint."- MARK TWAIN
Setting Up and Managing a Consumer Health Library
see also
How Do You Set Up and Run a Consumer Health Library? (CAPHIS)
http://caphis.mlanet.org/resources/index.html
BREAK - 30 minutes
Evaluating Online Resources
-
using your favorite search engine locate and evaluate health information web
sites for the following:
- 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
with Demonstrations and Exercises for PubMed, MEDLINEplus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and DIRLINE
Conclusion
Final Questions and Answers
MLA Evaluations/Instructor Questionnaire
MLA CE Certificates
