Understanding Internet access and use to facilitate patient portal adoption.

Understanding the information-seeking preferences and Internet access habits of the target audiences for a patient portal is essential for successful uptake. The resource must deliver culturally and educationally appropriate information via technology that is accessible to the intended users and be designed to meet their needs and preferences. Providers must consider multiple perspectives when launching a portal and make any needed adjustments once the launch is underway. We report results of a study of 270 parents and caregivers of paediatric patients in a major health system during the process of implementing a patient portal. Through a 26-question paper-and-pencil survey, data were collected on participant demographics, Internet access and use, health information-seeking behaviours, health literacy, and potential use of a patient portal. Results indicate a positive attitude towards portal use but also suggest that low health literacy may be a key issue to portal adoption.

Assessing internet access and use in a medically underserved population: implications for providing enhanced health information services.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between health information seeking, patient engagement and health literacy is not well understood. This is especially true in medically underserved populations, which are often viewed as having limited access to health information. OBJECTIVE: To improve communication between an urban health centre and the community it serves, a team of library and information science researchers undertook an assessment of patients' level and methods of access to and use of the Internet. METHODS: Data were collected in 53 face-to-face anonymous interviews with patients at the centre. Interviews were tape-recorded for referential accuracy, and data were analysed to identify patterns of access and use. RESULTS: Seventy-two percentage of study participants reported having access to the Internet through either computers or cell phones. Barriers to Internet access were predominantly lack of equipment or training rather than lack of interest. Only 21% of those with Internet access reported using the Internet to look for health information. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that lack of access to the Internet in itself is not the primary barrier to seeking health information in this population and that the digital divide exists not at the level of information access but rather at the level of information use.

Identifying and communicating the contributions of library and information services in hospitals and academic health sciences centers.

OBJECTIVE: This article introduces a systematic approach to identifying and communicating the value of library and information services (LIS) from the perspective of their contributions to achieving organizational goals. METHODS: The contributions of library and information services (CLIS) approach for identifying and communicating the value of LIS draws on findings from a multimethod study of hospitals and academic health sciences centers. RESULTS: The CLIS approach is based on the concept that an individual unit's value to an organization can be demonstrated by identifying and measuring its contributions to organizational goals. The CLIS approach involves seven steps: (1) selecting appropriate organizational goals that are meaningful in a specific setting; (2) linking LIS contributions to organizational goals; (3) obtaining data from users on the correspondence between LIS contributions and LIS services; (4) selecting measures for LIS services; (5) collecting and analyzing data for the selected measures; (6) planning and sustaining communication with administrators about LIS contributions; and (7) evaluating findings and revising selected goals, contributions, and services as necessary. CONCLUSIONS: The taxonomy of LIS contributions and the CLIS approach emerged from research conducted in hospitals and academic health sciences centers and reflect the mission and goals common in these organizations. However, both the taxonomy and the CLIS approach may be adapted for communicating the value of LIS in other settings.

The contributions of library and information services to hospitals and academic health sciences centers: a preliminary taxonomy.

OBJECTIVES: This article presents a taxonomy of the contributions of library and information services (LIS) in hospitals and academic health sciences centers. The taxonomy emerges from a study with three objectives: to articulate the value of LIS for hospitals and academic health sciences centers in terms of contributions to organizational missions and goals, to identify measures and measurable surrogates associated with each LIS contribution, and to document best practices for communicating the value of LIS to institutional administrators. METHODS: The preliminary taxonomy of LIS contributions in hospitals and academic health sciences centers is based on a review of the literature, twelve semi-structured interviews with LIS directors and institutional administrators, and a focus group of administrators from five academic, teaching, and nonteaching hospitals. RESULTS: Derived from the balanced scorecard approach, the taxonomy of LIS contributions is organized on the basis of five mission-level concepts and fifteen organizational goals. LIS contributions are included only if they have measurable surrogates. CONCLUSIONS: The taxonomy of LIS contributions offers a framework for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data in support of communicating the value of LIS in hospitals and academic health sciences centers.