NLM's Library Network: A Force for Outreach.

This chapter considers the transformation of U.S. National Library of Medicine's (NLM) national network of libraries into an effective force for spreading awareness of NLM's resources, services, and tools and increasing their use. Several examples of network programs and projects are recounted to illustrate the influence of NLM's longest serving Director, Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D. on the development and evolution of NLM's library network.

NLM's library network: A force for outreach.

This chapter considers the transformation of U.S. National Library of Medicine's (NLM) national network of libraries into an effective force for spreading awareness of NLM's resources, services, and tools and increasing their use. Several examples of network programs and projects are recounted to illustrate the influence of NLM's longest serving Director, Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D. on the development and evolution of NLM's library network.

Doodle Health: A Crowdsourcing Game for the Co-design and Testing of Pictographs to Reduce Disparities in Healthcare Communication.

Supplementing patient education content with pictographs can improve the comprehension and recall of information, especially patients with low health literacy. Pictograph design and testing, however, are costly and time consuming. We created a Web-based game, Doodle Health, for crowdsourcing the drawing and validation of pictographs. The objective of this pilot study was to test the usability of the game and its appeal to healthcare consumers. The chief purpose of the game is to involve a diverse population in the co-design and evaluation of pictographs. We conducted a community-based focus group to inform the game design. Game designers, health sciences librarians, informatics researchers, clinicians, and community members participated in two Design Box meetings. The results of the meetings were used to create the Doodle Health crowdsourcing game. The game was presented and tested at two public fairs. Initial testing indicates crowdsourcing is a promising approach to pictograph development and testing for relevancy and comprehension. Over 596 drawings were collected and 1,758 guesses were performed to date with 70-90% accuracies, which are satisfactorily high.

Understanding Research Impact: A Review of Existing and Emerging Tools for Nursing.

Researchers and educators are required to show the impact they have in their field when they apply for promotion or extramural funding. There are several tools available for nursing faculty to consult as they build a research impact profile. This article highlights both traditional and more novel tools, the impact metrics they calculate, and why the tools are particularly relevant to the field of nursing.

Appy Hour: Health Sciences Professionals Learn About Apps.

Appy Hour is a recurring event hosted by an academic health sciences library featuring apps that are informally presented and demonstrated by invited speakers. The audience is encouraged to ask questions during the presentation of the featured app(s). This event provides learning and networking opportunities for health sciences faculty, staff, students, and health care professionals. This article illustrates the process for hosting the event, shares lessons learned, and discusses possible future directions to gain a wider audience.

Provider documentation of patient education: a lean investigation.

PURPOSE: The study evaluates how providers give patient education materials and identifies improvements to comply with Meaningful Use (MU) requirements. METHODS: Thirty-eight patient-provider interactions in two health care outpatient clinics were observed. RESULTS: Providers do not uniformly know MU patient education requirements. Providers have individual preferences and find gaps in what is available. Accessing and documenting patient education varies among providers. Embedded electronic health record (EHR) materials, while available, have technical access barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Providers' EHR skills and knowledge levels contribute to non-standardized patient education delivery.

Assessing clinical researchers' information needs to create responsive portals and tools: my Research Assistant (MyRA) at the University of Utah: a case study.

QUESTION: How can health sciences librarians and biomedical informaticians offer relevant support to Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) personnel? SETTING: The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library and the associate vice president for information technology for the health sciences office at the University of Utah conducted a needs assessment. METHODS: Faculty and staff from these two units, with the services of a consultant and other CTSA partners, employed a survey, focus groups, interviews, and committee discussions. An information portal was created to meet identified needs. RESULTS: A directive white paper was created. The process employed to plan a virtual and physical collaborative, collegial space for clinical researchers at the university and its three inter-institutional CTSA partners is described. CONCLUSION: The university's model can assist other librarians and informaticians with how to become part of a CTSA-focused infrastructure for clinical and translational research and serve researchers in general.

Characteristics of personal health records: findings of the Medical Library Association/National Library of Medicine Joint Electronic Personal Health Record Task Force.

OBJECTIVES: The Medical Library Association (MLA)/National Library of Medicine (NLM) Joint Electronic Personal Health Record Task Force examined the current state of personal health records (PHRs). METHODS: A working definition of PHRs was formulated, and a database was built with fields for specified PHR characteristics. PHRs were identified and listed. Each task force member was assigned a portion of the list for data gathering. Findings were recorded in the database. RESULTS: Of the 117 PHRs identified, 91 were viable. Almost half were standalone products. A number used national standards for nomenclature and/or record structure. Less than half were mobile device enabled. Some were publicly available, and others were offered only to enrollees of particular health plans or employees at particular institutions. A few were targeted to special health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The PHR field is very dynamic. While most PHR products have some common elements, their features can vary. PHRs can link their users with librarians and information resources. MLA and NLM have taken an active role in making this connection and in encouraging librarians to assume this assistance role with PHRs.

The health sciences librarian in medical education: a vital pathways project task force.

OBJECTIVES: The Medical Education Task Force of the Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians reviewed current and future roles of health sciences librarians in medical education at the graduate and undergraduate levels and worked with national organizations to integrate library services, education, and staff into the requirements for training medical students and residents. METHODS: Standards for medical education accreditation programs were studied, and a literature search was conducted on the topic of the role of the health sciences librarian in medical education. RESULTS: Expectations for library and information services in current standards were documented, and a draft standard prepared. A comprehensive bibliography on the role of the health sciences librarian in medical education was completed, and an analysis of the services provided by health sciences librarians was created. CONCLUSION: An essential role and responsibility of the health sciences librarian will be to provide the health care professional with the skills needed to access, manage, and use library and information resources effectively. Validation and recognition of the health sciences librarian's contributions to medical education by accrediting agencies will be critical. The opportunity lies in health sciences librarians embracing the diverse roles that can be served in this vital activity, regardless of accrediting agency mandates.

The health information literacy research project.

OBJECTIVES: This research studied hospital administrators' and hospital-based health care providers' (collectively, the target group) perceived value of consumer health information resources and of librarians' roles in promoting health information literacy in their institutions. METHODS: A web-based needs survey was developed and administered to hospital administrators and health care providers. Multiple health information literacy curricula were developed. One was pilot-tested by nine hospital libraries in the United States and Canada. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate the curriculum and its impact on the target group. RESULTS: A majority of survey respondents believed that providing consumer health information resources was critically important to fulfilling their institutions' missions and that their hospitals could improve health information literacy by increasing awareness of its impact on patient care and by training staff to become more knowledgeable about health literacy barriers. The study showed that a librarian-taught health information literacy curriculum did raise awareness about the issue among the target group and increased both the use of National Library of Medicine consumer health resources and referrals to librarians for health information literacy support. CONCLUSIONS: It is hoped that many hospital administrators and health care providers will take the health information literacy curricula and recognize that librarians can educate about the topic and that providers will use related consumer health services and resources.

Addressing underutilization of consumer health information resource centers: a formative study.

PROBLEM: Four consumer health information centers in Richmond, Virginia, provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information. Because they may not be fully utilized at present, an exploratory marketing study of factors affecting usage of the centers was conducted. METHOD: Observers counted center passers-by and tracked their paths. Also, brief intercept interviews were conducted with people who had just used a center, people nearby who could have used one but did not, and people on the street. Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with key informants. RESULTS: There was a high degree of satisfaction with the centers among users. Nonusers universally endorsed the center concept. However, most passers-by did not even glance at the centers, and intercept interviewees suggested better signage and promoting the resource centers through various media channels. Key informants added suggestions about interpersonal strategies (e.g., physician referrals) for center usage promotion but cautioned that a large increase in traffic could not be accommodated without increasing staff size or shifting from a model of individualized service. CONCLUSIONS: Triangulating findings from multiple data collection methods can provide useful guidance for efforts to promote center utilization. At minimum, steps should be taken to make the largest centers more noticeable. Because center utilization is not only associated with consumer satisfaction with hospitals, but may also foster health literacy, both hospital-based and community-based usage promotion strategies may be warranted. All such promotional strategies should be audience-tested before they are adopted.

Information prescriptions: a barrier to fulfillment.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this project was to identify and compare physician-perceived versus patient-experienced barriers to filling information prescriptions. METHODS: Physicians participated in a focus group designed to identify any issues linked to the implementation of the project. Telephone interviews were conducted with patients to gather details of the challenges encountered as well as to collect general health information-seeking practices. RESULTS: Although physicians identified several obstacles patients may encounter, it was not possible to identify patient barriers as no patient indicated having received an information prescription. In the focus group, physicians reported not using the term "information prescription," thus undermining one of the intrinsic tenets of the project. CONCLUSIONS: Although designed with the physicians' input, the study results demonstrated a disconnect in the information prescription process. The addition of intervention fidelity measures may have ensured a more positive outcome.