Review article: Consumer health information services*

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The power of information: health information and UK agendas

The Department of Health published a new health information strategy in May 2012. The document provides a framework for health information in England over the next 10 years. Health information developments in England, however, do not mirror developments in other parts of the United Kingdom. This article is a personal reflection on the new health information strategy in England, including comparison with developments in the other UK nations.     

Older adults' health information behavior in everyday life settings

Health information seeking is an important part of older adults' everyday lives as they cope with their health conditions. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 older adults in the United States were analyzed using Savolainen's everyday life information seeking (ELIS) model, especially its key concepts such as way of life and mastery of life. The interview data revealed that except for health care providers, a spouse or partner was mentioned as a credible interpersonal source of health information among older adults in a marital or romantic relationship. Characteristics of older adults' health information behavior in the ELIS context were identified based on types of way of life and mastery of life. For example, those who had more varied types of hobbies, including cognitive, affective, and social hobbies, were exposed to diverse people as they performed their daily routine, potentially resulting in different sources of useful health information. In couple relationships, those with an optimistic as opposed to pessimistic attitude toward a problem-solving situation played the information provider role rather than information receiver role.     

Practices of Locating Health Information in an Electronic Environment: Reflections on Conducted Health Information Skills Training

ABSTRACT

Health information skills in an electronic environment are essential to health science librarians, who serve as educators both within and outside of their health training institutions. This reflective study was conducted to examine the application of online health information skills obtained from the training provided for librarians who are working in health settings. Health sciences librarians, as future information skills educators, therefore need to possess their own health information skill sets. Capacity building is vital in order to promote the development of health information skills for health sciences librarians who can then teach and advocate the concept of health information skills on the Internet within and outside of their places of work.     

Health Care Professions: Career Information on the Internet for Students

The United States is currently experiencing a nursing shortage, and it is expected to worsen in the next ten years. Physician shortages are also projected. Some allied health professions are also experiencing personnel shortages. Health sciences libraries can be of service in addressing the shortages by making information available on health care careers. Internet sites and resources on health care career decisions are discussed in this article.     

Teaching medical information retrieval and application courses in Chinese universities: a case study

An important aspect of Chinese academic health science libraries is their involvement in teaching medical information retrieval courses as part of the medical curriculum. Health science librarians in China have a more formal teaching role than is generally found in Western countries, including many full-time teaching positions. This article provides a case study of Kunming Medical University Library, where courses are provided as credit units at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The teaching practices of Chinese health science libraries are compared with teaching experiences reported in Western countries. It is noted that Chinese government's educational policy is similar to that of the United States in promoting the role of the library in teaching subjects as part of the medical curriculum. In China, this has lead to the development of teaching departments within health science libraries and the appointment of full and part-time teacher librarians.     

Characteristics, content, and significance of the popular health periodicals literature

An analysis of the content of sixty popular health periodicals covered in 1986 by the Consumer Health & Nutrition Index was made to identify the characteristics and concerns of popular health magazines and newsletters. The literature mirrors the health values and anxieties of the American public. While some of the literature diverges from mainstream allopathic medicine, most popular publications succeed in presenting coherent, reasoned, and documented viewpoints. Because there is no consensus on many medical problems, it is important that individuals have the freedom to read dissenting and alternative points of view and consider multiple options before making informed and reasoned health decisions. The popular literature is a valuable yet inexpensive source of reliable information on topics of current concern. The publications are not as well known as they deserve to be because they have not been adequately indexed, while they have not been indexed because they are not well known. The Consumer Health & Nutrition Index now provides expanded subject access to sixty health-related periodicals plus all health-related articles in sixteen general interest magazines.     

Opportunity for change in the future roles for the health library and information professional: meeting the challenges in NHS Scotland

BACKGROUND: NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the Special Health Board responsible for supporting best practice in education, training and development for all staff groups within NHS Scotland. As part of its remit, the Knowledge Services Group within NES is responsible for the e-Library, a national electronic resource providing and supporting access to the evidence base. The Knowledge Services Group also supports the national development of library services to NHS Scotland. AIMS: This article aims to provide a reflective overview of some recent challenges within the health library and information field in Scotland, and the positive role opportunities these have afforded. METHODS: The information was gathered through extensive professional interaction with staff across the sector over the first year of establishing the new role of Librarian Staff Development Manager. FOCUS: New roles have emerged for health library and information professionals generally; for example, in response to new technology or new user groups. The development of the NHS Scotland e-Library provides examples of role development that emerges symbiotically from core skills applied to a new situation or applied in an innovative way. Role development among health library and information professionals operating at the local service level can be both reactive and proactive. Working together, the partnership between the national Knowledge Services Group and local library and knowledge services for NHS Scotland has resulted in the emergence of additional new roles, extending the role portfolio of the local professional (for example, the Librarian-Tutor role) and supported by other national infrastructures (for example, the competency framework initiative).     

Caregivers of children feel confident about using the Internet for health information

Background

Caregivers of children may rely on internet sources, health care providers, peers or family for health information.

Objective

To examine the impact of sociodemographic factors on the use of the internet for health information by caregivers of children, and the impact on self-efficacy, effort and frustration.

Methods

Using data from the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey, the effects of information source on self-efficacy, effort and frustration was examined using the complex samples module of SPSS.

Results

The internet was the most common source of health information for caregivers of children (n = 247), with high confidence, low frustration and effort reported. Younger, higher educated and higher income caregivers were significantly more likely to use the internet for health information. Information from Health Care Providers (HCPs) was associated with greater confidence, and information from peers associated with lesser effort and frustration. No significant effects on self-efficacy, effort or frustration for online health information was noted compared to other sources.

Conclusions

Efforts to reduce barriers to online health information may be required for some groups of caregivers, and health care providers may have a role to play in this.     

Exploring digital health care: eHealth,mHealth, and librarian opportunities

Technology advances in eHealth and mHealth are changing the way that health care consumers and providers communicate, receive and deliver care, and access health information. As electronic health records and smartphones have become ubiquitous in the United States, opportunities and applications for the integration of eHealth and mHealth have increased. In addition to technology advances, the changing health care model is simultaneously adapting to and driving initiatives in digital health care. With these digital initiatives have come challenges, including data overload, security and privacy concerns, deficits in technological and health literacy skills, and sorting through the vast number of choices of digital applications. Navigating this changing landscape can be overwhelming and time consuming for both health care providers and consumers. Librarians are uniquely positioned to assist providers and consumers to break down barriers within the digital health care landscape through data management initiatives, technology and health literacy instruction, and finding and evaluating health information and digital health technologies.     

The professionalization of health librarianship in the UK between 1909 and 1978

Many strands exist within health information work and during the last century librarians in this field identified themselves through special groups or associations. This paper focuses on the key role of the Library Association Medical Section in the professional development of medical librarians in the United Kingdom up to 1978 when it merged with the Library Association Hospital Libraries and Handicapped Readers Group to create the Medical, Health and Welfare Group. Uniting to form a stronger organization, under the ultimate designation of the Health Libraries Group, was part of an evolutionary process. The invention and promotion of co-operative schemes, networking and educational opportunities for members, the publication of specialized material and the fostering of international relationships during the first three-quarters of the century are illuminated by personal reminiscences from some of the major participants in the field.     

The ‘market’ for medical and health information in transition: the case of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority libraries

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Assessing the authoritativeness of Canadian and American health documents: a comparative analysis using informetric methodologies

Government publications have long been considered authoritative sources of information regardless of the format (electronic via the WWW or paper) they are published in, and with little consideration as to how they are researched and written. Given the greater accessibility that the WWW provides the public to this very important source of information on a wide variety of subjects, assessing authoritativeness becomes a bigger and more difficult issue. The research and comparative analysis presented here continues a pilot study that applies informetric methods, especially citation analysis, to assess whether the blind trust afforded government publications is appropriate in such an important area of public policy and to see whether the two different types of health systems in Canada and the United States might have an effect on how these publications are produced.     

‘Evidence’ within local authority decision making

Michael Cook looks at the role of an embedded Public Health Information Specialist highlighting the ways the core evidence, information and knowledge skills are used to progress Public Health activity in local government settings. Acknowledging the current pandemic, he explores how COVID‐19 has dominated all aspects of health and social care, and outlines how evidence services have work within these complex Public Health systems to lead the local response and recovery efforts.     

Who goes to a library for cancer information in the e-health era? A secondary data analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)

This study identifies characteristics of Americans who chose the library as their primary cancer information source over the Internet by examining demographic characteristics, online use experience, concerns of information quality, and perceptions of cancer information seeking. A secondary data analysis is conducted using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Findings reveal that people who are more likely to choose the library are, compared to their Internet counterparts, people who lack online experience, are distrustful of online cancer information, and are more aware of cancer sources. However, they are not necessarily more adept cancer information seekers and do not have a greater expectation of getting quality information from the library. These findings suggest how the library plays its role as an information source for cancer information consumers in the e-health environment. Implications of the findings are discussed in a way that libraries could invest their efforts to reduce the digital health divide and to advance consumer health information literacy.     

Achieving change through mutual development: supported online learning and the evolving roles of health and information professionals

Introduction: Major changes in health care, within an information‐ and technology‐rich age, are impacting significantly on health professionals and upon their education and training. Health information professionals—in both the National Health Service (NHS) and higher education (HE) contexts—are consequently developing their roles, skills and partnerships to meet the needs of flexible education and training. This article explores one facet of this—supported online learning and its impact on role development. Methodology: A case study approach was taken, aiming to explore how academics, health information professionals and learning technologists are developing supported online learning to explicitly address the e‐literacy and information needs of health students within the context of NHS frameworks for education. This was contextualized by a literature review. Results: The case study explores and discusses three dynamics—(i) The use of supported online learning tools by future health‐care professionals throughout their professional training to ensure they have the appropriate e‐literacy skills; (ii) the use of supported online learning by current health professionals to enable them to adapt to the changing environment; (iii) the development of the health information professional, and particularly their role within multi‐disciplinary teams working with learning technologists and health professionals, to enable them to design and deliver supported online learning. Conclusions: The authors argue that, in this specific case study, health information professionals are key to the development of supported online learning. They are working successfully in collaboration and their roles are evolving to encompass learning and teaching activities in a wider context. There are consequently several lessons to be drawn in relation to professional education and role development.     

Health Literacy's Influence on Consumer Libraries

Health literacy has been redefined in recent years to move beyond an individual’s own communication skills to include the skills of persons working within health care organizations, including librarians. Provision of consumer health services and resources, while a long-standing practice in hospital libraries, has also been redefined. As definitions of health literacy have evolved, so too have hospital librarian services as they embrace their role within health literacy. Many hospital medical and consumer health librarians have developed programs, services, and collaborations to further health literacy awareness, education, and initiatives for consumers, health care professionals, and their parent organizations.     

Creating a consumer health outreach program for Western New York senior citizens: continuing a library school project

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.     

Improving the provision of traditional health knowledge for rural communities in Ghana*

In Ghana many rural illiterate people practise traditional medicine and spread their knowledge through oral communication among themselves. This paper observes that traditional health information which freely circulates, and is actively disseminated by healers in rural communities greatly contributes to the knowledge for preparing home remedies and other traditional interventions. Oral communication can give rise to inaccurate and even dangerous information where charlatans can penetrate and operate within the health system. The Danfa project, which involved verbal teaching of modern health techniques to illiterate herbalists, and educating villagers about improved traditional medical practices, is described as a success story of information provision for illiterates. The experience is applied to propose the modification of some training programmes under the Ministry of Health to produce traditional health care information providers. Repackaged information and the public media are recommended as the most effective method of transferring knowledge to those unable to read.