Arizona Health Sciences Library Research Articles

Introducing Consumer Health Information to High School Students Enrolled in Cosmetology

ABSTRACTThe case study describes the partnership between the University of Arizona Health Sciences Library and the Joint Technical Education District’s (JTED) Cosmetology high school program to integrate consumer health information into the curriculum. The information literacy component of the curriculum was created by a librarian; it focuses on research methodology and introduces students to consumer health databases and resources. Because early in the course students are introduced to infection control and identification of different diseases and disorders of the skin, introducing them to consumer health information resources helps them identify and learn more about different skin disorders and diseases. Students and teachers both expressed higher confidence levels in research abilities and quality of work produced after attending the program. The instructional program can easily be adapted to other high school career fields.

Bioinformatic training needs at a health sciences campus.

BackgroundHealth sciences research is increasingly focusing on big data applications, such as genomic technologies and precision medicine, to address key issues in human health. These approaches rely on biological data repositories and bioinformatic analyses, both of which are growing rapidly in size and scope. Libraries play a key role in supporting researchers in navigating these and other information resources.MethodsWith the goal of supporting bioinformatics research in the health sciences, the University of Arizona Health Sciences Library established a Bioinformation program. To shape the support provided by the library, I developed and administered a needs assessment survey to the University of Arizona Health Sciences campus in Tucson, Arizona. The survey was designed to identify the training topics of interest to health sciences researchers and the preferred modes of training.ResultsSurvey respondents expressed an interest in a broad array of potential training topics, including "traditional" information seeking as well as interest in analytical training. Of particular interest were training in transcriptomic tools and the use of databases linking genotypes and phenotypes. Staff were most interested in bioinformatics training topics, while faculty were the least interested. Hands-on workshops were significantly preferred over any other mode of training. The University of Arizona Health Sciences Library is meeting those needs through internal programming and external partnerships.ConclusionThe results of the survey demonstrate a keen interest in a variety of bioinformatic resources; the challenge to the library is how to address those training needs. The mode of support depends largely on library staff expertise in the numerous subject-specific databases and tools. Librarian-led bioinformatic training sessions provide opportunities for engagement with researchers at multiple points of the research life cycle. When training needs exceed library capacity, partnering with intramural and extramural units will be crucial in library support of health sciences bioinformatic research.

Librarians help high school students improve research skills.

Millennials, the generation born from the early 1980s to early 2000s, and anyone born after them are often assumed to be effective information technology users who, because of their experience growing up with technology, are fully prepared to enter today's technology-rich workplaces after completing their education. Yet it is becoming increasingly clear that tech savviness by itself does not guarantee having the essential skills that many employers are looking for—skills that can vary all the way from working with spreadsheets to higher-level problem solving to the ability to perform high-quality research. Goodman found that “Millennials may be on track to be our most educated generation ever, but they consistently score below many of their international peers in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments” [1]. Since at least 1966, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has had discussions about reaching out to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K–12). In 2006, NLM's 10-year long-range plan recognized the need “for a greatly expanded and more diverse workforce of clinicians, informaticians and librarians” [2]. It recommended that NLM help to meet this need by continuing to adapt its existing educational programs and by “increasing its focus on K–12 education.” Today, NLM's Division of Specialized Information Services provides a robust offering of K–12 science and health education resources to help teachers introduce, reinforce, and supplement education programs [3]. Librarians, working in collaboration with teachers, are in a position to help prepare today's K–12 students to become the health professionals of tomorrow. As a health sciences outreach services librarian who has worked with K–12 students and teachers, I have learned that teachers can greatly benefit from and deeply appreciate having health information professionals work with them in the classroom. One teacher I have been working with for a couple of years mentioned to me that materials such as curricula are very useful yet not sufficient: Often more complex questions arise, and having a health information professional present in the classroom at certain key points in the curriculum to answer intricate questions and to work with the students through parts of the research process is extremely helpful. As the outreach services librarian at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Library, I have been partnering with high school science teachers for five years. I work mainly with juniors and seniors (eleventh and twelfth grades) from about thirteen high schools each year. Included in the students' experience—usually toward the beginning of the school year—is a visit to the university campus and the health sciences library. For many students, visiting a university campus is a new experience. In the library classroom, the students, who have been assigned a research project beforehand, are taught the fundamentals of database searching and are assisted in locating literature relevant to their project. This model teaches students research skills that they can apply to both current and future classroom assignments, while at the same time exposing them to the university environment, demystifying it, and, for many, helping them begin to realize that higher education can be an attainable goal. Recently, I have had conversations with several elementary school teachers and librarians to explore the possibility of working with students and teachers at earlier grade levels. One idea includes working with students in connection with school gardens and seed libraries; helping them learn about food, diet, and nutrition; and maybe learning about some basic research concepts in the process and to do so in such a way that students can take some of these concepts back home with them. Based on this preliminary brainstorming, I think there is potential for health sciences librarians to make meaningful impacts even at the earliest grade levels.

Implementing a tablet circulation program on a shoestring

Increasingly, medical schools and other schools offering degrees in the health sciences are launching initiatives incorporating tablet computers as an educational tool, as evidenced by information gathered from academic health sciences center websites and informal conversations with colleagues 1–3. To help support such efforts and to keep up with the increasing interest in accessing health-related information and resources via mobile devices such as tablet computers like iPads, academic health sciences center libraries have also been investigating interest in or piloting the development of tablet circulation programs 4. There is also literature mentioning circulating tablet computers in an academic library setting 5, 6 and literature specific to academic health sciences libraries on circulating other technological devices 7, including e-readers 8 and personal digital assistants 9. This brief communication addresses the planning, implementation, experiences, and preliminary outcomes of the Arizona Health Sciences Library (AHSL) in starting a program to circulate tablet computers in order to support the increasingly mobile information-seeking behavior of its users.

Abstract P5-12-03: Developing the ePromotora: Increasing Promotora's Access to Breast Cancer Electronic Resources

Abstract Background: Disparities in breast cancer screening and survival have been attributed to multiple factors including limited access to breast health education. Innovative information technologies facilitate health education; however, access to information technology is not uniform. The resultant systematic gap in health knowledge has led to a new health disparity where higher socioeconomic individuals acquire health information electronically more easily than the disadvantaged. Promotoras or Community Health Workers (CHWs) facilitate access to culturally appropriate cancer health information, screening and care. Hypothesis: An electronic asynchronous breast cancer educational intervention developed by the Arizona Telemedicine Program and the Arizona Health Sciences Library will improve CHW computer literacy and will enhance health education communication. Specific Aims: to develop, implement and assess a 6-session e-promotora training curriculum with a focus on breast health. Methods: The first step in developing a training curriculum was a needs assessment and a computer literacy assessment. This assessment served as the foundation for the computer literacy curriculum which focused on breast health content. The educational intervention was delivered as a combination of on-line, webinar, and face-to-face seminars. To meet the needs of the participants all sessions were delivered bilingually, Spanish and English. Program evaluation included pre and post knowledge assessments, session assignments, program satisfaction and 6-month follow up focus groups or structured interviews to evaluate the utility, implementation and dissemination of knowledge gained. Results: 26 CHWs have completed the training. All participants identified as Latinas, average age – 51 years of age and educational attainment – 58% (15/26) reported high school or less. Pre and post assessment data reveal high program satisfaction scores, increased participant knowledge and confidence in knowledge, consistent and ongoing use of information learned and computer skills gained and effective dissemination of health information gained. Conclusions: The e-promotora training curriculum effectively improves CHW computer literacy, facilitates dissemination of electronic health information and helps address the disparities in electronic health information. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-12-03.

Arizona Go Local – A Journey

Arizona Go Local (AZGoLocal) was launched in 2006 in the midst of the Arizona Turning Point Project, an ongoing statewide effort to promote collaboration among communities, public health departments, and libraries. With a variety of funding sources, the Arizona Health Sciences Library of the University of Arizona used a combination of strategies to manage the AZGoLocal project, gather data, recruit and encourage partners, and publicize it in communities. There was no lack of enthusiasm. The database ultimately held 4,000 records. Concern about the ongoing sustainability (i.e., providing good coverage, adding and keeping data up-to-date, and staffing the project) was exacerbated by the Arizona 2-1-1 project, which had similar goals, was well-funded, and backed by state government. AZGoLocal was removed from the Internet in 2010, not long after the National Library of Medicine announced its decision to discontinue support of MedlinePlus Go Local.

Upward evaluation at the Arizona Health Sciences Library

Upward evaluation is a process that involves the evaluation of supervisors by those they supervise. Although common in industry [1, 2], it is fairly rare in libraries and even more rare, though not unheard of, in medical libraries [3]. A recent informal, unscientific poll of academic health sciences library directors conducted by the Arizona Health Sciences Library (AHSL) director revealed that only three of twenty-six respondents participated in upward evaluation of managers. Three others had a process for evaluation of the director only. During the summer of 2007, the AHSL explored the many potential benefits of upward evaluation and concluded that benefits could accrue at three different levels. According to the literature, at an employee level, upward evaluation gives employees a voice in the organization of which they are so integral a part, can lead to better staff morale and improved commitment, and can reduce conflict [1, 4]. At the supervisor or middle management level, it can serve as a powerful tool for professional development. At the director or supervisors' supervisor level, upward evaluation can provide valuable input regarding the supervisory skills of the supervisors they oversee. Because of its potential benefits, the AHSL decided to develop and implement a process that incorporated evaluation of supervisors by subordinates into the annual performance review process.

The Newly Embedded Librarian: Pharmacy Information Liaison Service

Embedded librarianship has emerged as one approach to meeting the ever-evolving information needs of our clients. The University of Arizona Health Sciences Library has endeavored to become more proactive by embedding librarians within each of the four colleges it serves. Although the process of establishing visibility, recognition, and developing needed services has been a constant challenge, efforts have led to collaborations with faculty in both research and instruction. This article describes the successes and challenges of the library liaison in the College of Pharmacy, and how being embedded provided opportunities to build successful partnerships.

A “white elephant” in the library: a case study on loss of space from the Arizona Health Sciences Library at the University of Arizona

The Arizona Health Sciences Library is housed in a 4-story building that serves 4 University of Arizona colleges in Tucson. In October 2005, the dean of the college of medicine informed the library director that one floor of the library had to be converted to open classroom space by June 2006. Library staff planned and participated in the conversion of the space. Twenty thousand seven hundred square feet of library space (34% of public space in the building) was used briefly for large classes but is now rarely used. The space is now largely open and contains a variety of moveable seating and tables not suited for quiet study.

Embedded librarians: one library's model for decentralized service

The Arizona Health Sciences Library (AHSL), housed in a building connected to the college of medicine, serves the colleges of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and public health at the University of Arizona in Tucson, all in buildings located about 200 feet from each other around a large plaza. As in most other academic health sciences libraries, AHSL circulation and number of reference questions have been dropping [1, 2]. The building is used primarily by students to study, as faculty members rely on the library’s electronic collections to meet their information needs. Despite years of effort, the library was not integrated into the Brief communications: Bianco

Evidence-based Medicine Search: a customizable federated search engine

This paper reports on the development of a tool by the Arizona Health Sciences Library (AHSL) for searching clinical evidence that can be customized for different user groups. The AHSL provides services to the University of Arizona's (UA's) health sciences programs and to the University Medical Center. Librarians at AHSL collaborated with UA College of Medicine faculty to create an innovative search engine, Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) Search, that provides users with a simple search interface to EBM resources and presents results organized according to an evidence pyramid. EBM Search was developed with a web-based configuration component that allows the tool to be customized for different specialties. Informal and anecdotal feedback from physicians indicates that EBM Search is a useful tool with potential in teaching evidence-based decision making. While formal evaluation is still being planned, a tool such as EBM Search, which can be configured for specific user populations, may help lower barriers to information resources in an academic health sciences center.

The STARPAHC collection: part of an archive of the history of telemedicine

An early telemedicine project involving NASA, the Papago Tribe (now the Tohono O'odham Indian Nation), the Lockheed Missile and Space Company, the Indian Health Service and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare explored the possibilities of using technology to provide improved health care to a remote population in southern Arizona. The project, called STARPAHC (Space Technology Applied to Rural Papago Advanced Health Care), took place in the 1970s and demonstrated the feasibility of a consortium of public and private partners working together to provide medical care to remote populations via telecommunication. In 2001 the Arizona Health Sciences Library acquired important archival materials documenting the STARPAHC project and in collaboration with the Arizona Telemedicine Program established the Arizona Archive of Telemedicine. The material is likely to interest those studying early attempts to use technology to deliver health care at a distance, as well as those studying the sociological ramifications of technical and scientific projects among indigenous populations.

AZHealthInfo

ABSTRACT AZHealthInfo is a Web site created by the Arizona Health Sciences Library at the University of Arizona that serves as a gateway to Arizona-related health information. It has “Focus Pages” that contain lists of links, organized by health topics. Each focus page contains a narrative description of the condition, pertinent statistics, and an array of links from a wide range of providers featuring Arizona information. There are links to Arizona Go Local, MedlinePlus, and other national sites. The intent is not to recreate what MedlinePlus and others have done, but to facilitate access to Arizona information. This paper describes AZHealthInfo's inception, funding, development, management, quality control, evolution, and future. It also considers AZHealthInfo's supplemental relationship to the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus database and the newly released Arizona Go Local directory of health services. AZHealthInfo increases the ability of both consumers and public health professionals to access locally relevant information. It bridges a gap in health information by providing resources found neither in MedlinePlus nor in Arizona Go Local. Access to regionally appropriate information helps citizens to make informed decisions about their health, and thus has the potential to improve health outcomes statewide.

Technology mediator: a new role for the reference librarian?

The Arizona Health Sciences Library has collaborated with clinical faculty to develop a federated search engine that is useful for meeting real-time clinical information needs. This article proposes a technology mediation role for the reference librarian that was inspired by the project, and describes the collaborative model used for developing technology-mediated services for targeted users.

The transformation of spinal curvature into spinal deformity: pathological processes and implications for treatment

BackgroundThis review summarizes what is known about the pathological processes (e.g. structural and functional changes), by which spinal curvatures develop and evolve into spinal deformities.MethodsComprehensive review of articles (English language only) published on 'scoliosis,' whose content yielded data on the pathological changes associated with spinal curvatures. Medline, Science Citation Index and other searches yielded > 10,000 titles each of which was surveyed for content related to 'pathology' and related terms such as 'etiology,' 'inheritance,' 'pathomechanism,' 'signs and symptoms.' Additional resources included all books published on 'scoliosis' and available through the Arizona Health Sciences Library, Interlibrary Loan, or through direct contact with the authors or publishers.ResultsA lateral curvature of the spine–'scoliosis'–can develop in association with postural imbalance due to genetic defects and injury as well as pain and scarring from trauma or surgery. Irrespective of the factor that triggers its appearance, a sustained postural imbalance can result, over time, in establishment of a state of continuous asymmetric loading relative to the spinal axis. Recent studies support the longstanding hypothesis that spinal deformity results directly from such postural imbalance, irrespective of the primary trigger, because the dynamics of growth within vertebrae are altered by continuous asymmetric mechanical loading. These data suggest that, as long as growth potential remains, evolution of a spinal curvature into a spinal deformity can be prevented by reversing the state of continuous asymmetric loading.ConclusionSpinal curvatures can routinely be diagnosed in early stages, before pathological deformity of the vertebral elements is induced in response to asymmetric loading. Current clinical approaches involve 'watching and waiting' while mild reversible spinal curvatures develop into spinal deformities with potential to cause symptoms throughout life. Research to define patient-specific mechanics of spinal loading may allow quantification of a critical threshold at which curvature establishment and progression become inevitable, and thereby yield strategies to prevent development of spinal deformity.Even within the normal spine there is considerable flexibility with the possibility of producing many types of curves that can be altered during the course of normal movements. To create these curves during normal movement simply requires an imbalance of forces along the spine and, extending this concept a little further, a scoliotic curve is produced simply by a small but sustained imbalance of forces along the spine. In fact I would argue that no matter what you believe to be the cause of AIS, ultimately the problem can be reduced to the production of an imbalance of forces along the spine [1].