Reflections on the Impact of a Library-based Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Service

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine if a librarybased personal digital assistant (PDA) service is a significant factor in the clinical use of PDAs at an academic medical center. Methods: Health sciences students, faculty, staff, and residents at an academic medical center were the participants. The library has serviced several thousand PDAs. This population was used as the basis for the study group. The study design is a cross-sectional study using survey methodology. The analysis was done based on age, college affiliation, and gender, and answered questions such as frequency of PDA use, usefulness of library’s PDA service, and usefulness of programs the library installed on users’ PDAs. Results: One hundred and eight people responded. Seventy-five percent of the respondents would still be PDA users, even if the library did not assist or promote the service. Almost 90% were daily PDA users. Seventy-five percent stated that they would not feel confident that they could install the software without the library’s help. Conclusions: The survey results reenforced the library’s feeling that the service fills a crucial need in the community it serves. The survey also provided information on the databases it buys, which gives the library information for future collection development

Connecting Rural Clinicians to Health Information

Objective: To determine if a personal digital assistant (PDA) with drug and evidence-based disease information software programs and with librarian training and follow-up can adequately meet at low cost the information needs of clinicians in rural areas with low information availability. Methods: A randomized clinical trial methodology was used. Eight hospitals were selected in rural Appalachia based on accepted definitions of rurality. The hospitals were randomized into two groups of four hospitals with forty PDA users in each group. Both groups were treated equally, except the information needs of one group were measured using a validated instrument before the intervention and in the other group several months later. The survey instrument measured factors such as level of satisfaction with information retrieved in the clinic, required time to find an answer, and frequency of answers found for clinical questions

Rethinking Ways to Provide Library Services to Rural Clinicians

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze an ongoing project centered on satisfying basic clinical information needs of rural clinicians who work in hospitals without libraries or librarians by providing personal digital assistants (PDAs) equipped with clinical information databases augmented with full-text Loansome Doc delivery. Three projects have been instituted since 2006, in which 330 PDAs were distributed with training. Methods: This was a qualitative study that primarily involved individual interviews of participants in one of the three projects. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and themes were analyzed. The process continued until data saturation was achieved. Results: Much information has been discovered about the value of the services provided and what can be done to better address clinician information needs. Data collection is ongoing. Conclusions: Medical librarians, particularly those in academic centers, must reach out and find new ways to enable rural clinicians to stay current with the explosion of new biomedical information

Training Public Library Workers to be Health Information Providers: an Analysis of a Five-Year Outreach Project by a US Medical Library

Objective: To determine the value of a program instituted by an academic medical library to train public library workers across the State of Tennessee, US to deliver quality health information to patrons. Methods: Qualitative analysis including focus groups. Results: The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Medical Library used four three-hour classes developed by the US National Library of Medicine to train public library workers across the State of Tennessee over the last five years. All four classes were offered multiple times in the nine regions of the state public library system. Approximately 250 library workers received the Consumer Health Information Specialization designation from the US Medical Library Association for participating in 12 hours of training. The motivation behind this effort was reports that the first place people with a new diagnosis go for information is the public library. Conclusion: We wanted to look for evidence to see if there was value in this project in order to know whether to repeat it in the future or whether to promote it as a model to other geographical areas. A qualitative analysis of the results of the project will be presented at the conference

Popular Theatre: Connecting Migrant/Seasonal Farmworkers with Health Information

Objective: The population for this project is Hispanic migrants who have limited English proficiency. They have a low education level, and this is accompanied by a lack of exposure to health education. The objective is too increase health knowledge of participants about: diabetes, importance of early prenatal care, and importance of early detection of breast cancer, as well as increase awareness of drug and alcohol abuse and depression. Methods: The project will partner with the church, Nueva Esperanza, to provide health education to the Hispanic migrant and seasonal farmworker population in the area. The church’s existing theater group will be trained to be volunteer lay health promoters and will get additional training in using theater to provide health education. Skits will be performed at migrant farmworker camps, parks, and churches on the following topics: alcohol and drug abuse, depression, diabetes, early prenatal care, and breast cancer. The goal is that 12 volunteer promoters will be able to provide basic health education in their community so that 640 people will receive health education in at least 2 of the following topics: depression, drug and alcohol abuse, diabetes, early prenatal care, and early detection of breast cancer

Partnering with an Area Hospital to Provide Senior Consumer Health Information

Objective: The purpose of this project is to provide better consumer health information and services to a patient population of a hospital-based nursing home. Methods: A hospital partnered with an academic medical library and obtained National Network of Libraries of Medicine funding. Wii devices with television monitors were purchased to improve physical activity in the nursing home. All nurses were trained to use MedlinePlus, and computers were made available for their use to search MedlinePlus in the nursing home. MedlinePlus materials were added to the consumer health library in the hospital, and DVD players were purchased to use for watching consumer health videos. Results: The capacity of the nursing home and hospital to deliver consumer health information to patients and their families has been improved. Conclusions: A small project like this is a great way to introduce a health care system to the services and products of the National Library of Medicine and empower the staff to better provide consumer health information

Rethinking the Role of Clergy as Consumer Health Educators

Objective: Many people in the Appalachian region turn to their churches in times of crisis. A diagnosis of cancer is seen as a personal and family crisis. The purpose of this study is to partner with a regional comprehensive cancer control coalition and an interdenominational group of religious professionals to identify, develop, and test contents for a set of classes to better prepare and educate religious leaders who regularly are required to assist their church members with a diagnosis of cancer. Methods: This project will be done in four steps.1. identify elements of a cancer curriculum for preachers2. develop learning modules and install lessons on computer tablets3. pilot use of tablets with two clusters of two community preachers4. evaluate changes in knowledge and sense of communication with medical professionalsData will be analyzed using focus groups both before and after the use of the tablets with the community preachers. Results: Two cohorts of eight pastors were selected from two remote rural regions. Four modules were located on iPad devices that covered various aspects of consumer health information including MedlinePlus, communication issues, and development of health information outreach as a component of ministry. Data collection and analysis is ongoing. Conclusions: Using clergy and other nontraditional delivery venues for consumer health information is well worth pursuing

Volunteering with a Relief Organization to Provide Consumer Health Information

Objective: Remote Area Medical (RAM) Volunteer Corps is a nonprofit volunteer relief corps dedicated to serving mankind by providing free health care, dental care, eye care, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world. The East Tennessee State University Medical Library participated in two RAM expeditions. Approximately 3,000 patients were seen at the 2 events. Methods: The library obtained funding to purchase laptops and printers and printed consumer health information. The library had a prominent position in the educational section of the events. Librarians from other medical libraries and public libraries were invited to be part of the team. During the event, library staff aggressively sought out opportunities to give consumer health information to patients. Results: The library provided health information to approximately 1,300 of the participants. Conclusions: RAM provided the library with a chance to really help out with the community. It was an interesting eye opening experience. It is the medical library’s wish to have a continued relationship with RAM. The library\u27s presence made an impression on the various health care providers as to what a powerful tool information could be