Public Health GIS and the Internet

Abstract

Internet access and use of georeferenced public health information for GIS application will be an important and exciting development for the nation's Department of Health and Human Services and other health agencies in this new millennium. Technological progress towards public health geospatial data integration, analysis, and visualization of space-time events using the Web portends eventual robust use of GIS by public health and other sectors of the economy. Increasing Web resources from distributed spatial data portals and global geospatial libraries, and a growing suite of Web integration tools, will provide new opportunities to advance disease surveillance, control and prevention, and insure public access and community empowerment in public health decision making. Emerging supercomputing, data mining, and compression and transmission technologies will play increasingly critical roles in national emergency, catastrophic planning and response, and risk management. Web-enabled public health GIS will be guided by Federal Geographic Data Committee spatial metadata, OpenGIS Web interoperability, and GML/XML geospatial Web content standards. Public health will become a responsive and integral part of rhe National Spatial Data Infrastructure.     

ITER- International Toxicity Estimates for Risk, new TOXNET database

ITER, the International Toxicity Estimates for Risk database, joined the TOXNET system in the winter of 2004. ITER features international comparisons of environmental health risk assessment information and contains over 620 chemical records. ITER includes data from the EPA, Health Canada, the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment of the Netherlands, and other organizations that provide risk values that have been peer-reviewed.     

Developing an evidence-based public health informatics course*

Objectives

This study assessed the need to develop a public health informatics (PHI) introductory course and determine contents of such a course.

Methods

Community assessments employing focus group interviews and an online survey were utilized to determine course need and content.

Results

Results revealed a need to provide PHI training to graduate public health students and suggested broad course content requirements. Results indicated lack of awareness of libraries and librarians as sources of public health information.

Conclusions

A graduate PHI course was developed and delivered. Additionally, implementation of a subject guide increased the library''s profile.     

Using Blogs and Wikis in a Graduate Public Health Course

Blogs and wikis are examples of Web 2.0 technology that facilitate collaboration in the online world. In the health sciences, the emergence of these social tools potentially increases the risk of generating harmful or biased information. Therefore, it is the health professional's responsibility to have the skills to critically appraise Web content that has not undergone traditional peer review. This was the focus in a three-credit graduate Urban Public Health course taught by a librarian and was addressed with assignments using blog and wiki technology within the course management tool Blackboard. The assignments fostered comprehension of the issues surrounding blogs and wikis as they relate to public health.     

网络舆情对公众参与公共决策的影响性研究——以“南京绿评制度”为例

网络舆情与现实事件的良好结合与互动,有助于公众参与公共决策的实现。论文着眼于研究“南京绿评制度”形成的相关网络舆情在不同途径传播的特征,从公众网络信息行为的各要素出发,分析得出公众在参与公共决策的过程中与政府决策之间存在着倒逼机制,网络舆情对于公共决策的形成起着一定的影响作用。     

Examining the Potential Gender Gap in Online Health Information-Seeking Behaviors Among Digital Natives

This investigation focused on gender differences in young adults related to health consciousness and online health information seeking. Contrary to prior research, gender was not a significant predictor of either health consciousness or health information-seeking behavior. Furthermore, health consciousness was found to be a more influential predictor of online health information-seeking behaviors than gender.     

Seniors connect: a partnership for training between health care and public libraries

Kaleida Health Libraries, in partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, presented "Seniors Connect: A Health Information Project." The program was funded by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and the Kaleida Health Foundation. The purpose of the project was to teach African-American and Hispanic senior citizens or their caregivers residing in the city of Buffalo how to search the Internet to find quality, accurate, understandable health information. Attendees were taught to distinguish quality information from inaccurate, misleading, and fraudulent material. A total of fourteen training sessions were offered. The Seniors Connect program was initiated with health fair at each branch library, conducted by Kaleida Health staff, to provide an opportunity for participants to learn about health care services available in their community; observe demonstrations of health information searches on the Internet; learn about new treatment modalities for diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid abnormalities, and hypertension; and interact with area health care providers and library staff. The sessions were highly rated by attendees and many participants expressed their gratitude for a program geared specifically toward seniors.     

International Trends in Designing Electronic Health Information Literacy for Health Sciences Students: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The Internet has become a crucial source of health information for health sciences students. They increasingly rely on the Internet for health information to support their educational projects, academic activities, clinical practice and research. Surprisingly, it has been shown that students' health information skills for conducting research on the Internet are inadequate. Indeed, developing and improving the health information skill set of health sciences students is required in order for students to effectively locate, critically evaluate, and efficiently use online health information for the effective location, critical evaluation and efficient use of online health information. This paper undertakes a systematic review of the literature with a focus on electronic health information literacy skills with the aim of identifying the current trends, contributions to, and practices in health sciences students' education, and informing researchers in the field universally about the essential baseline for the design and development of effective course contents, pedagogy and assessment approaches. However, majority of students have limited skills for the location, evaluation and effective use of health information on the Internet. Other articles suggest that health sciences students need fully fledged health information skills programs that are integrated with their health sciences education curricula.     

面对重大突发公共卫生事件科技期刊如何履责担当——以金属加工杂志社新冠肺炎疫情报道为例

介绍在新冠肺炎疫情期间,金属加工杂志社快速反应、快速决策,以高度的社会责任感和使命感,策划抗疫专题,组织在线讲堂,统一规划部署,充分发挥全媒体平台特别是强大的数字媒体平台优势,主动向制造业企业、专家和作者约稿,利用网站、微信、微博、今日头条等数字媒体平台发布专题,并对在线讲堂进行宣传推广,以实际行动践行科技期刊在重大突发公共卫生事件中的社会责任、发挥引领作用。     

In‐house peer supported literature search training: a public health perspective

Public Health England plays a vital role in ensuring the health of the nation. The Knowledge and Library Service (KLS) is a key part of the organisation's evidence supply chain. KLS staff handle over 200 requests for literature searches per annum, and this number is increasing exponentially year on year. Searches are often complex and require specialist public health knowledge to complete effectively. Library staff who are new to the area of public health require support and training. In this article, Anh Tran, Knowledge and Evidence Specialist for Public Health England, discusses a peer supported literature search training course that has been developed in‐house for the benefit of new library staff, and to increase the Knowledge and Library Service's literature searching capacity at Public Health England. H. S.     

城镇公共图书馆基本服务能力调查——以江苏省为例

公共图书馆服务是一个面向读者的完整体系。论文通过对江苏省公共图书馆系统2011年基础设施、政府投入与图书馆基本服务工作、服务能力的调查,发现目前公共图书馆系统存在着地区发展不平衡、公共服务缺乏特色等问题,并提出未来公共图书馆的服务需要寻求新的工作增长点。     

CHID: a unique health information and education database

The public's growing interest in health information and the health professions' increasing need to locate health education materials can be answered in part by the new Combined Health Information Database (CHID). This unique database focuses on materials and programs in professional and patient education, general health education, and community risk reduction. Accessible through BRS, CHID suggests sources for procuring brochures, pamphlets, articles, and films on community services, programs at HMOs and hospitals, aspects of coping, and more. CHID is a joint project of six federally funded agencies in the Public Health Service. CHID provides citations with abstracts to major health journals, books, reports, pamphlets, hard-to-find information resources, and to health education programs under way in state and local health departments and other locations.     

‘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.     

Health Services Technology/Assessment Text (HSTAT)

Health Services Technology/Assessment Text (HSTAT), an online collection of documents pertaining to clinical practice guidelines, HIV/AIDS treatment information, and health care decision making, was recently introduced by the National Library of Medicine. Access to HSTAT is available through the NLM Full-Text Retrieval System (FTRS), a document search and retrieval system developed by the Information Technology Branch of NLM. Internet FTP, Gopher, and World Wide Web clients may also be used to obtain documents from the HSTAT collection.     

从“微博”事件探寻杭州图书馆公共服务之路

多年来,杭州图书馆一直在探索并切实践行＂平等、免费、无障碍＂的公共服务,以保障每个人能平等地享用图书馆服务。杭州图书馆努力建设＂平等、免费、无障碍＂的杭州地区图书馆联盟,＂关注弱势、个性化服务＂的杭州盲文图书馆,＂平民图书馆、市民大书房＂的杭州图书馆新馆,＂无处不在、触手可及＂的杭州数字图书馆及开展＂贴近民众、贴近生活＂的读者活动,这些无不体现了公共图书馆的包容精神。     

Using a portable wireless computer lab to provide outreach training to public health workers

Librarians at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport developed an outreach program for public health workers in north Louisiana. This program provided hands-on training on how to find health information resources on the Web. Several challenges arose during this project. Public health units in the region lacked suitable teaching labs and faced limited travel budgets and tight staffing requirements, which made it impractical for public health workers to travel. One solution to these problems is a portable wireless computer lab that can be set up at each site. The outreach program utilized this approach to present on-site training to public health workers in the region. The paper discusses operational and technical issues encountered in implementing this public health outreach project.     

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.     

Creating the first MedlinePlus "Go Local" service: lessons and recommendations from the evaluation of NC Health Info

NC Health Info is an online collection of North Carolina based health services Web sites that seamlessly links local health resources to topical health information on MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's consumer health information Web site. NC Health Info was the first project to connect local resources with MedlinePlus in the "Go Local" initiative. As such, NC Health Info serves as a model for other states to follow in connecting their own local information with Medline- Plus. This paper describes the processes used and lessons learned during a year-long evaluation of NC Health Info. Evaluation results may be of interest and applicable to any existing or planned "Go Local" project.     

Health information professionals: delivering core services and value in extraordinary times

The 2020 virtual issue of the Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) is published to link to the CILIP Health Libraries Group Conference which was to take place in Scotland 22–25th July. Whilst the conference was postponed in light of the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic, its themes of (i) Working in Partnership; (ii) Resilience and Well‐being; (iii) Public and Patient involvement; (iv) Quality Impact and Metrics; and (v) Improvement and Innovation have nevertheless provided the basis on which to compile this virtual issue. Overarching these themes is a core value of the HIL profession, to provide relevant, timely and sustainable information services, and the articles selected from HILJ (2018 through to March 2020) contribute to the aim of meeting and going beyond these goals under the conference banner of ‘not your average day in the office’. The virtual issue mirrors the format of a regular issue of HILJ, a review article, four original articles and three from our regular features: ‘Dissertations into Practice’, ‘International Perspectives and Initiatives’ and ‘Teaching and Learning in Action’. The authors come from Canada, China, Croatia, Sweden and the UK. All articles included in this issue are available online.