librarian's guide to finding health information online
TRANSCRIPT
A LIBRARIAN’S GUIDE TO FINDING HEALTH INFORMATION ONLINE
SHELLEY WHITE & REBECCA CARLSON, 2015 MOBIUS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Searching Statistics
59% of Americans have looked online for health information in the past year.
77% of online health seekers say they started at a search engine.
13% say they started at a health information site like WebMD.
2% say they started at a more general site like Wikipedia.
1% say they started at a social network site like Facebook.
Statistics from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 2013
Statistics to Keep in Mind
Half of health information searches are on behalf of someone else.
One in four people seeking health information online have hit a pay wall.
One in five people have consulted online reviews of drugs or treatments, health care providers, or medical facilities.
For one in three of U.S. adults, the internet is a diagnostic tool.
Statistics from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 2013
Finding Health Information Online
Reference Interview Strategies Common Questions and Key Sources Boundaries and Ethical Issues Referrals
Reference Interview Strategies
Establish a good communication climate
Use open-ended questions
Build rapport
Listen
Verify details
Follow up on information provided
“I need a book on toenail fungus.”
Clarify the amount of information needed
Determine how much information the patron wants to know
Remember this conversation might involve personal information
Use tact when restating requests
Lower your voice or go to a private location as needed
Avoid assumptions and premature diagnoses
General Information Resources
Drug information – “My doctor put me on a med called neurontonin or something like that. Can you find me information on it?”
MedlinePlus
Cholesterol – “I was told to cut back on cholesterol. I don’t even know what it is. What kind of foods can and can’t I eat?”
Healthfinder
Autism – “I read in the news that vaccines can cause autism. What is the real medical truth?”
PubMed Health
General Information Resources cont.
Health Information – “Is there a booklet I can get on gout?”
National Institutes of Health
Current News – “I heard there is a new pneumonia vaccine for seniors. Do I need it?”
Travel – “I am travelling to Costa Rica. Do I need to get any special vaccines before I go?”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Consumer Health Patrons
These example questions and many others are those commonly asked by the different categories of consumer health patrons: Health conscious
Worried well
Ill and chronically ill
Family of newly diagnosed
Parents and caregivers
Adolescents
Pregnant women
Boundaries and Ethical Issues
Minors
Alternative medicine
Life expectancy
Medical advice
Referrals
For information you are unable to provide, refer patrons to:
A personal physician
A medical library—see map of MO Libraries providing consumer health information
Thank you!
Shelley White
Librarian
Van K. Smith Community Health Library
Mercy Springfield Communities
Rebecca Carlson
Library Director
Mercy College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Southwest Baptist University