8 - Health information delivery outside the clinic in a developing nation: The Qatar Cancer Society in the State of Qatar

Abstract

No reliable research is currently available on consumer health information seekers in Qatar, their reasons for seeking it, or the quality and extent of this information. Thus very basic questions about health information delivery outside of the clinical setting need to be answered, such as the role that libraries and health associations can play in educating the public about health issues. This chapter provides a case study of one of the largest and most active nonclinical health associations in Qatar, The Qatar Cancer Society (QCS), a charitable nongovernmental organization established in 1997. Specialized librarians and libraries can potentially play an important role in information provision on health matters outside of the clinical setting and in collaboration with health organizations such as QCS.