Health Disclaimers and Website Credibility Markers: Guidance for Consumer Health Reference in the Affordable Care Act Era

This article reports on the current state of health disclaimers, online health resources, and credibility markers provided on public library websites (N = 105) for those seeking health information. In light of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), these findings have implications for consumer health reference services in public libraries. Approximately half of the public library websites in the study sample (n = 52, 49.5%) referred users to the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace website (HealthCare.gov). When referring to online consumer health resources, a small number of public library websites identified the authors of online health content (n = 16, 15.2%) or clearly stated the date of publication (n = 8, 7.6%). Further, only 2.8 percent of public library websites (n = 3) provided important health disclaimers. As a result, more website credibility markers, such as the content sponsorship and currency of health information, are needed on public library websites to better guide users to reliable online health information. Overall, this study offers practical guidance for library and information professionals for enhancing consumer health reference services and connecting users to health information in the Affordable Care Act landscape

Strategies for Data Management Engagement

The research landscape is growing dramatically, and librarians are examining new roles, services, and types of collaborations to support data-intensive research. This column describes curricular enhancements at one School of Library and Information Science in the United States. Several key areas of data management in which health sciences librarians may wish to build or enhance their skills are outlined. Possible roles and opportunities for health sciences librarians to strategically engage in data management initiatives are also presented

Book Review: Workable Sisterhood: The Political Journey of Stigmatized Women with HIV/AIDS

Review of Workable Sisterhood: The Political Journey of Stigmatized Women with HIV/AIDS by Michele Tracy Berge

Demystifying survey research: Practical suggestions for effective question design

Objective ‐Recent research has yielded several studies helpful for understanding the use of the survey technique in various library environments. Despite this, there has been limited discussion to guide library practitioners preparing survey questions. The aim of this article is to provide practical suggestions for effective questions when designing written surveys. Methods ‐Advice and important considerations to help guide the process of developing survey questions are drawn from a review of the literature and personal experience. Results ‐Basic techniques can be incorporated to improve survey questions, such as choosing appropriate question forms and incorporating the use of scales. Attention should be paid to the flow and ordering of the survey questions. Careful wording choices can also help construct clear, simple questions. Conclusion ‐A well‐designed survey questionnaire can be a valuable source of data. By following some basic guidelines when constructing written survey questions, library and information professionals can have useful data collection instruments at their disposal

Copyright Awareness, Partnerships, And Training Issues In Academic Libraries

This article reports on the results of a national survey of academic librarians and library staff (N = 226) in the United States about their awareness of various copyright policies, partnerships with campus groups to address copyright issues, and training needs. A majority of the survey respondents reported that they have answered copyright-related questions in the workplace, yet only 49% (n = 98) of the respondents perceived they were prepared to provide copyright information to library users. Awareness of various copyright policies among librarians and staff members varied, including a reported minimal awareness of the T.E.A.C.H. Act. In addition, survey respondents expressed the desire for more copyright-related training. In light of these findings, the present study extends the existing literature and offers recommendations to help better prepare a “copyright confident” or “copyright responsive” academic library workforce

Faculty experiences with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) public access policy, compliance issues, and copyright practices

Objectives: The research assessed faculty awareness of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) public access policy and faculty experiences with the copyright terms in their author agreements with publishers. Methods: During the fall of 2011, 198 faculty members receiving funding from NIH at a large urban academic institution were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. A total of 94 faculty members responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 47%. Results: Thirty percent of the survey respondents were either unaware of or not familiar with the NIH policy. Further, a significant number of faculty members (97.8%) indicated that they usually signed their copyright forms “as is.” The findings show that time, confusing instructions, and unclear journal policies are challenges experienced by NIH-funded faculty in complying with the federal mandate. Conclusion: There is a need to educate faculty with respect to the value of retaining their copyrights and self-archiving their publications to help advance public access and open access scholarship

The impact of COVID-19 on reference services: a national survey of academic health sciences librarians

Objectives: The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the scope and adaptive nature of reference services provided by academic health sciences librarians over a one-year period (between March 2020 and March 2021) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In March 2021, academic health sciences librarians in the United States were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey about their experiences providing reference services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online survey was developed, pretested, and distributed to various listservs. Results: A total of 205 academic health sciences librarians and other information professionals with health sciences liaison responsibilities in the US (N=205) responded to the online survey. The scope of reference services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic included email-based reference services (97%), virtual reference (89%), telephone (80%), text-based (33%), and in-person (31%). The most common types of COVID-related reference questions included COVID-19 treatments (53%), safety precautions (46%), vaccines (41%), and prevalence (38%). Additionally, the identification of challenging reference questions and examples of misinformation were provided by respondents. Conclusions: The results of the survey characterize the evolving nature and scope of academic health sciences reference work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Librarians reported an increase in reference questions during the pandemic and are answering them in creative ways despite barriers (e.g., limited time and reduction in resources). There is an opportunity for librarians to continue to address COVID-related misinformation. Overall, these findings provide useful insight for library practitioners and administrators planning reference services during public health crises

Genetics Home Reference: Locating Easy-To-Understand Genetics Information

This article describes the Genetics Home Reference, the National Library of Medicine\u27s searchable Web resource that provides reliable information about genetic conditions, genes, and chromosomes and their relationship to the health of individuals, families, or populations. This resource contains descriptions of hundreds of genes and genetic conditions, with new content being added regularly. Features of the resource will be described as well as the browse and search methods used to access the information

Manufacturing Menopause: An Analysis Of The Portrayal Of Menopause And Information Content On Pharmaceutical Web Sites

Consumer-targeted prescription drug advertising serves as an interesting lens through which we can examine the portrayal of menopause in online drug advertisements. The aim of this study was to explore the portrayal of menopause on web sites sponsored by pharmaceutical companies for hormone therapies (HT). To unravel this question, a qualitative content analysis of web sites for FDA-approved hormone therapies was employed. A total number of 608 printed pages of web site content from eight web sites (N=8) were analyzed. Key findings elucidated how menopause was portrayed on the pharmaceutical web sites. First, descriptions of menopause articulated a biomedical perspective of menopause. In adopting a biomedical perspective, menopause was described as a medical event requiring medical treatment. Second, the web sites employed the terminology of illness, including the term “symptoms” which is a medically symbolic term. Women were told that their symptoms were to be assessed, tracked, and managed which related to a disease-like model of menopause. If left untreated, the web sites implied that symptoms could lead to hampered sex lives and a reduced sense of self. Third, the web sites were prescriptive and advocated consumer behaviors. Specifically, women were told to “ask” their health care provider about HT. Likewise, the “expert” role of the physician in providing a diagnosis was also reinforced. Fourth, another distinguishing characteristic was the lack of scientific evidence provided for consumers to support proclaimed benefits. The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was framed in a positive light and consumers were told that potential benefits of HT may outweigh the risks. Finally, the reading level of the pharmaceutical web sites far surpassed the reading level of the average adult in the United States. Overall, my findings reinforced the acceptance and dominance of the biomedical model of menopause in advertising. Additionally, one of the strengths of this study was the analysis of the reading level, online self-diagnosing symptom tools, and the framing of the WHI in online pharmaceutical advertisements. To this end, this research contributes to the existing body of literature to include analyses of representations of menopause on pharmaceutical web sites