Infopeople Webcast Series: Health eShows

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Infopeople Webcast SeriesHealth e-Shows
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I Do Not Give Medical Advice
I Dispense Quality Health Information
An Infopeople Webinar June 19, 2008 12pm
1pm Kelli Ham kkham_at_library.ucla.edu
Infopeople webinars are supported by the U.S.
Institute of Museum and Library Services under
the provisions of the Library Services and
Technology Act, administered in California by the
State Librarian.
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Objectives

• Participants will
• Understand the most common challenges of
  providing health reference to the public
• Know of best practices by colleagues when faced
  with difficult health reference scenarios
• Be aware of mutually beneficial collaborations
  with other librarians in different settings

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Agenda

• Overview of Consumer Health reference services
• Common issues and challenges
• Actual scenarios
• Strategies
• Recap and QA
• Lets share our ideas!

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Regular Reference vs. Health Reference

• Similarities
• reference interview guidelines apply to both
• questions range from simple to complex
• Differences
• questions are more serious in nature
• privacy concerns
• complicated topics
• limited resources for consumers

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Health Reference Settings

• Consumer health in different library settings
• public
• hospital
• academic
• special
• Each setting offers services and resources for
  different user groups and purposes
• Still, overlap exists
• Opportunities to extend services via partnerships

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Barriers to Communication

• Language
• Culture
• Low health literacy
• What else?

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Common Issues

• What challenges do you face? (Pick a color
  and use the Text tool)

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Chronic Calling
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Complicated Question Need Answer Now!
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Serious Diagnosis

• How is this different in a hospital setting vs. a
  public library setting? Is the approach the
  same?
• How do you handle a situation when the person is
  emotional or distraught?

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Unfamiliar, Odd or Misspelled Medical Terms

• The doctor says I have laryngealaritenoiditis.

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Alternative Therapies
Will acupuncture help heal Achilles
tendonitis?

• I have glaucoma can I take ginkgo instead
  of my other medicine?

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The Internet Problem

• Some people dont use or have access to the
  Internet.

Some people use the Internet and are quickly
overwhelmed by confusing or conflicting
information.
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A Few Best Practices

• Be open-minded
• Listen, ask, listen, rephrase for clarity
• Provide safe area
• Know your collection
• Be available when they are ready for more
• What are some others?

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Best Practices in Different Settings

• Hospitals

• Public libraries

• Get buy-in from management
• Build a reference consumer health collection
• Work with local public library know policies
• Team up with health care professionals and
  patient educators in the hospital
• What else?

• Know your community
• Ongoing training for staff
• Keep collection up-to-date
• Know best online resources
• Participate in Consumer Health groups
• Make contact with local medical librarians
• What else?

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Always a Good Bet

• Refer back to healthcare provider
• Provide appropriate resources
• Know the tools to help users communicate with
  their doctor or nurse

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Fill Gaps Through Partnerships

• Public library doesnt have the medical journal,
  but the academic library does
• Hospital library isnt able to serve members of
  the public, but the nearby public library has
  good collection and free Internet access

• What pieces are you missing?

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Ideas for Building Partnerships

• Assess strengths and weaknesses
• Identify potential partners
• Hold a Swap Meet
• Organize a health fair invite other
  organizations
• Other ideas?

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Other Considerations for Health Reference

• Use every opportunity to teach
• Point out evaluation criteria
• Allow user to take the wheel
• Informed consumers and patients can make better
  decisions about their health

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Take-aways from Todays Session
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Continuing the Discussion

• Is there interest in forming a community?
• stay in touch, build relationships, discuss
  issues
• Monthly or quarterly web-based chat like this?
• Other venues that already exist? (e.g. CAPHIS)
• Blog or email discussion list?
• Facebook group?

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There is one bit of advice I can give to users
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Take this information, and call your doctor in
the morning!
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QA
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Thank You!
Kelli Ham, Consumer Health Coordinator NN/LM
Pacific Southwest Region UCLA Louise M. Darling
Biomedical Library kkham_at_library.ucla.edu