Medical Library Association Guide Research Articles

The Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections

The Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections provides an information resource for all librarians, though the focus is on the novice. It is written in a clear, well-organized style, using practical tips and copious examples to illustrate concepts.

Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections

Medical Library Association Guide to Developing Consumer Health Collections

The Medical Library Association Guide to Data Management for Librarians

Lisa Federer, AHIP, of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), along with authors from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and highly reputable universities, introduces readers to the theoretical and data life cycle aspects of data management and then offers practical examples from academic health sciences and hospital environments.

Book(s) Review: The Medical Library Association Guide to Data Management for Librarians and Data Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians

Book(s) Review: The Medical Library Association Guide to Data Management for Librarians and Data Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians

The Medical Library Association Guide to Answering Questions about the Affordable Care Act

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The Medical Library Association Guide to Answering Questions about the Affordable Care Act

The Medical Library Association Guide to Answering Questions about the Affordable Care Act

The Medical Library Association Guide to Providing Consumer and Patient Health Information

The Medical Library Association Guide to Providing Consumer and Patient Health Information

Libraries and the Affordable Care Act: Helping the Community Understand Health-Care Options

In the midst of both consumer and health professional confusion about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Francisca Goldsmith writes a practical, clear, and compassionate guide for any librarians assisting information seekers with this topic. Goldsmith, a veteran of both public and academic library service in the United States and Canada, has supplied her expertise in staff development and library instruction through California's Infopeople Project and works with the underserved. Goldsmith knows what library staff and library patrons need to know to respond to community needs for health information, to cope in a practical manner with literacy disparities of all types, and to manage the role of public or consumer health libraries as change agents in a responsible legal and ethical manner. The author's purpose is to engage and encourage public library staff awareness and service planning in supporting local community health. Using knowledge gained from the first open enrollment period in 2013 to 2014, the author assists public library staff with providing information access and community education. The result is this core manual of essential knowledge, resources, library responses, and best practices. Intended to serve as a guide for library staff to tailor their role to the needs of their local communities, Goldsmith offers no singular blueprint. Instead, she provides short chapters, with bullet points for easy reference and task lists to focus planning and goal accomplishment. She is mindful of issues related to staffing and rural or urban settings. Chapter one, “The Affordable Care Act: Overview and Context,” provides the legislative facts and texts, the history, synonyms and editorial names, the role of federal and state governments, insurance exchange/marketplace types, Medicaid, initial outcomes, enrollment, recognition of local needs, project management, and staff awareness. Chapter two, “Health Insurance and Insurance Exchange Structures,” explores the terrain of the insurance exchange and insurance plans, small business health options, Medicaid in relation to the exchange, and health care access and the library. Chapter three, “Know Your Community,” provides the basics of digging more deeply into ethnicity, culture, language, and health literacy. Chapter four, “From Affordable Care Act Policies to Functional Library Tactics,” outlines the goals of the Federal Health Agency and the five policy objectives of the ACA. Goldsmith explains how to extract “library tactics” from the aforementioned policies. Language and technology access issues, especially for diverse populations, merit particular focus. A valuable outline of upcoming changes in the ACA through 2020 helps to keep this book current. Chapter five, “Ethics and Legal Matters Related to Health-Care Information Services,” describes codes of appropriate behavior, especially related to community health care consumers, and ethics in politics, diversity, library collections, legal situations, and technical and technology access. Chapter six, “Health-Care Related Reference Interviewing,” addresses the strong concerns that both public library and consumer health library staff may have in relation to uncovering patrons' real health information needs. Chapter seven, “Literacy, Health Literacy, and Financial Literacy,” succeeds in looking beyond reference and information technology services to the value of household income and motivated skill acquisition. Chapter eight, “Programming to Promote a Healthy Community, on the Ground and Online,” focuses on transparency, partnerships, stakeholders, rural concerns, and online support, with specific public library examples of successful approaches. Chapter nine, “Keeping Up Now, Documenting for Future Advocacy,” emphasizes the need for ongoing awareness, training, and documentation as an advocacy tool. Each chapter ends with questions and tasks, simplifying both learning and planning for library staff using this book. Notes at the end of each chapter also suggest related websites, media, and other resources useful for comprehension and additional research. Questions and tasks are worded clearly and explicitly to encourage best practice. Goldsmith includes three appendixes. Appendix A offers “Affordable Care Act Oversight and Marketplace Access by State.” Appendix B, “Resources,” features information about government regulations and sponsored access assistance, tools for plain language communication and exploration of community needs and assets, and social media resources. Provided tools include the Kaiser Family Foundation, WebJunction, and other key references. Appendix C, “Where Do I Find,” is the quick section provided in place of an index. For this type of handbook, it suffices. This book is recommended for public library staff and for medical or academic library staff who answer consumer health questions or questions about ACA from any patron type, and it is recommended as the primary, go-to-first resource. Exceptional in its practical utility and consumer health expertise, this title is complemented by the newly published The Medical Library Association Guide to Answering Questions about the Affordable Care Act by Emily Vardell (Rowman & Littlefield; 2015. ISBN: 978-1-4422-5536-4).

The Medical Library Association Guide to Providing Consumer and Patient Health Information

It is evident from the first chapter that the writers of The Medical Library Association Guide to Providing Consumer and Patient Health Information have put together a valuable and comprehensive resource, one that steers their fellow librarians through the process of starting and maintaining a consumer health resource collection. Its thirteen chapters are full of sound advice and valuable guidance from beginning to end. The first chapter on the history of consumer and patient health librarianship by Michele Spatz immediately makes the point that the rise in availability of consumer health information is “intertwined in the history of medicine itself” (p. 1). Medicinal knowledge was for a long time the secret provenance of physicians. Only recently was medicine translated into language that the average person could understand. As patients and consumers became more involved in making their own decisions, the need for more and more information that they could understand grew as well. Patient-centered care spawned the need for patient health information. The next few chapters address the “nuts and bolts” of putting together a consumer health library, beginning with Nicole Dettmar, AHIP, writing about “Where to Start? Needs Assessment.” Dettmar outlines a plan to evaluate the requirements of starting the new venture and gives a couple of helpful case studies as examples. Mary Grace Flaherty, AHIP, writes about strategic planning in a straightforward manner, taking the angst out of what can be a daunting task. Cara Marcus, AHIP, then takes you through the “Bricks and Mortar” of building your new library, including everything from office supplies to grants and awards. Chapters 5 through 7 cover the important aspects of consumer-friendly technology, staffing, and health information reference service. Case studies and examples are found throughout these chapters, as are charts and graphs that help you organize your plan. There are also very useful tips on funding the venture to build your consumer health library. After the chapters on the practical aspects of starting your consumer health library, the book addresses how to reach out to and connect with the consumers themselves. Barbara Bibel and Michele Spatz offer advice on the ethics of providing patrons with health information. Perhaps the most important point is the reminder that librarians are not physicians and cannot offer medical advice, only information (p. 122). Michelle Kraft, AHIP, covers social media and its use in outreach, as well as any concerns and risks involved. Linda Stahl writes one of the most important chapters, regarding the information needs of “diverse groups” that include children, those with low literacy levels, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered (LGBT) community. Although there is now more information for these groups than in previous years, it can still be a challenge to find useful and relevant information. Stahl also discusses ways to handle delicate reference interviews, especially with children and with teens who might be wary of trusting adults at the same time that they are looking to them for answers. Donna McCloskey, AHIP, continues in this vein with her chapter on cultural sensitivity. Chapters 12 and 13 again address practical topics, but ones that some librarians find particularly challenging. Marketing the library and forming strategic partnerships are not always in a librarian’s “comfort zone,” yet you must do them to ensure the success of your library. Ideas are presented for reaching out to consumers and stake holders to find both users and supporters. Storytelling, branding, and embedding yourself within your organization are just a few of the ideas from these chapters. The Medical Library Association Guide to Providing Consumer and Patient Health Information is well written and full of constructive and timely advice. Any librarians thinking of starting a consumer health or patient health information collection would be wise to use it as the roadmap for their new venture.

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding out about Heart Disease: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the developed world” (p. v). With that very first sentence in the preface, the authors succinctly state the need for this reference book. The Institute of Medicine confirms and expands upon that assessment in naming cardiovascular disease an epidemic and among the leading causes of death globally [1]. Heart disease is more varied and complicated than librarians or the lay public may at first realize. This work defines the many types and points readers to vetted, reputable information. The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding out about Heart Disease is a librarian's resource that will also serve the public well as a global positioning system (GPS) for finding trustworthy sources in the landscape of the Internet's interminable purveyors of opinion. The book is intelligently arranged with logical, consistent organization of chapters, an index, and a glossary. Along with prompts to conduct a high-quality reference interview, the authors are careful to repeatedly remind readers to consult with doctors or other health professionals. The first chapter offers introductory instruction on how to most effectively use the book. Because this is a reference book that one dips into for specifics, many readers will likely skip this first chapter, but librarians should not. It points to the key, broad resources that the authors used as major sources as well as strategies for searching in an ever-changing web environment. Chapter two, “How the Heart Works,” introduces readers to the language of heart disease, sorting out key elements of the heart system that readers need to know to understand what they will read. The chapter does not go into so much depth that it becomes drudgery; instead, it offers brief, one- to three-paragraph explanations—no more than a reader needs to know to feel like the language of heart disease can be understood by a nonmedical person. Subsequent chapters cover specific diseases or disorders, tests and treatments, risk factors, and preventive measures. The final chapter on “Heart Disease in Women” is especially important as women's symptoms often do not present in the same manner as men's [2,3]. Many people, when faced with a sudden, potentially life-threatening disease, turn to the Internet with their questions. Unfortunately, as the amount of available information grows exponentially, consumers frequently cannot distinguish promotional copy from research evidence. This book fills that gap. The two authors are medical information specialists who have vetted the sources for credibility. Most sources named are websites, which is logical and useful as that is where consumers turn to for current information. The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding out about Heart Disease is a timely response to the Institute of Medicine's report on Promoting Cardiovascular Health in the Developing World: A Critical Challenge to Achieve Global Health. Like other Medical Library Association Guides (to cancer information, health literacy, and so on), this book offers specific, targeted, and vetted information resources in one specialization of medical care. Finding out about Heart Disease is primarily recommended for medical libraries, hospital libraries, and public libraries. This is probably not a book for cardiologists, as it is written in plain English and targeted to nonphysicians; however, because heart disease is so pervasive, it would be a highly useful desk reference for medical and allied health professionals in specialties other than cardiology. Certainly, it would be highly useful to the general public: it is a road map to vetted, consumer-friendly information for anyone with a loved one with some form of heart disease. The book is also available in portable document format (PDF), ePub format, and Kindle format. Any of the electronic formats would likely be more useful than the print edition because so many of the resources are web-based and would be hyperlinked and clickable in electronic formats.

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding out About Heart Disease: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding out About Heart Disease: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out about Diabetes: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out about Diabetes: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out about Diabetes: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out about Diabetes: The Best Print and Electronic Resources is far more encompassing and comprehensive than the subtitle of the book suggests. The provided information covers key diabetes mellitus concepts that have been reviewed by a medical content advisory board that includes a diabetes case manager and an associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, and annotated bibliographies of reliable print, audiovisual, and web resources. The book has two goals: to help patients find valid information on diabetes for their particular situations and to provide librarians with a background of core diabetes concepts to improve reference interviews with patients who have questions concerning their diabetes diagnoses. Librarians looking for a general diabetes resource to recommend to a layperson should be aware that the book is written at a reading level that is above the twelfth grade. The American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes (American Diabetes Association; 2001; ISBN: 978-1-580-40330-6) or the Joslin Guide to Diabetes: A Program for Managing Your Treatment (Fireside Books; 2005; ISBN: 978-0-743-25784-8) may be better suited for the layperson. The Guide to Finding Out about Diabetes comprises four parts: “Basic Resources for Getting Started,” “Diabetes Management Resources,” “Life with Diabetes,” and “Related Health Complications and Care Resources.” Some of the information provided is more appropriate for the librarian; for instance, there are sections on conducting a reference interview and evaluating websites. Part I of the book presents information on types 1 and 2 diabetes, prediabetes, gestational diabetes, and diabetes in children. Each type includes an overview and appropriate, annotated information sources. It should be noted that sources and annotations are sometimes repeated in the various sections. The American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes is listed as a resource for type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes in the designated bibliographies. Specialized and lesser-known resources are also included. The resource list in the prediabetes and type 2 diabetes–prevention chapter includes a book titled Prediabetes Wake-Up Call; in the children and diabetes chapter, there is one titled Rufus Comes Home. All web resources include lengthy uniform resource locators (URLs), which may detract from the timeliness of this monograph, considering the frequency with which websites change. Part II includes information on drug therapy, healthy diet and meal planning, physical activity, complementary and alternative medicine, and clinical trials. The chapter on clinical trials covers little on diabetes itself but provides a general overview of what to expect from a clinical trial should a patient choose to participate. Part III is targeted more toward the patient or consumer audience, including a chapter on collaborating with the health care team. The audiovisual resources listed in the “Life Outside the Home” chapter include thirteen SchoolTube video links. The “Travel Concerns” chapter directs patients to the Transportation Security Administration website for recommendations on how to travel with diabetic supplies. Part IV includes many resources in the bibliographies that are more targeted and sometimes less well known. The “Mental Health Issues” chapter includes a book titled Psyching Out Diabetes: A Positive Approach to Your Negative Emotions. The “Sexual and Urological Problems” chapter includes a book titled Balancing Pregnancy with Pre-Existing Diabetes: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby. Overall, the authors have compiled an ambitious list of resources for the medical librarian and diabetes patient to consult as well as overview information on a range of diabetic topics. A comprehensive index is included to aid the user in finding a specific resource or information on diabetes.

The Medical Library Association Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries. Second edition

The second edition of the Medical Library Association Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries comes ten years after the publication of the first edition, a time in which much has changed in health care librarianship. The authors clearly state in the text how the current edition differs from the previous edition. The new edition contains expanded information about new roles in health care libraries, including chapters on information practice and knowledge services. The new edition has been thoughtfully updated to reflect the changes in the profession since the previous edition. The authors outline some significant changes in the profession, and thus the text includes health literacy, quality and patient safety, evidence-based health care and comparative effectiveness research, translational research, and technology. The book is well organized and very user friendly. The information is timely and relevant to anyone working in a health care library setting. Sixteen chapters are divided into three sections. Part one covers an introduction to libraries in health care settings and an overview of the health care environment. Part two covers topics in management, financial management, human resources management, evaluation and improvement management, collection planning management, collection technical management, and library space management. Part three covers on-site and web-based information services, educational services, information practice, knowledge services, health information for patients and consumers, associated services, and solo librarians. A CD-ROM is included with the book and contains resources that complement the work by featurfing live links to various websites and Internet resources. In addition, the CD-ROM contains the bibliography for each chapter with clickable links to the resources. For some chapters, subjects are covered in more detail with additional resources contained on the CD-ROM. For example, the chapter on evaluation and improvement management outlines five methods of evaluation for health care libraries. The chapter gives a brief overview of each method, and each method is covered in more detail in the CD-ROM. This aspect of the book is very helpful, as it allows for more in-depth reading and research when needed. This book provides a valuable resource for both library school students and practicing librarians. It is particularly useful as a source of references. The book includes helpful charts and checklists along with suggestions for more in-depth reading on various topics. For example, the chapter on collection technical management gives a comprehensive overview, but the authors realize that some topics, such as the details involved in selecting an integrated library system, are beyond the scope of the text, and they direct readers to a variety of sources for further reading on the subject. Particularly useful features of the text are the “Management in Action” sections. Throughout the book, these sections elaborate on specific topics in the form of mini case studies that put the information into a practical context. Overall the authors have updated the text to reflect numerous changes in the profession in the ten years since the publication of the original. While the scope of the text is broad, the authors have done an excellent job of providing an adequate, but not overwhelming, amount of information about each subject. Particularly helpful is the CD-ROM and the authors' suggestions for further reading on various topics. This is an essential text for any health care library.

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding out about Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding out about Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out About Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The Best Print and Electronic Resources

The utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies is a rapidly growing trend. Gregory Crawford, director of the Penn State Harrisburg Library and a doctor of naturopathy, set out to write a comprehensive book on CAM that would be useful to librarians in answering questions and developing collections for CAM. Crawford surpassed this goal by providing a resource that includes authoritative information on a wide variety of therapies and annotated bibliographies with suggestions for print resources, Internet resources, and journals. In addition, the background and history of each therapy and training information enhance the reader's overall understanding of CAM. The introduction to the book explains the growth of CAM therapies and its movement into the mainstream of US health care. The first chapter is an annotated bibliography of general resources. As is the case for the remainder of the book, the list of recommended resources is extensive. Print resources include a complete citation and an in-depth annotation. Crawford points out the audience from health care professionals to the consumer for which the materials are written. General resource titles include Researching Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Mosby's Dictionary of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, and Educational Opportunities in Integrative Medicine. The remaining twenty-three chapters are organized by specific therapy type and are listed in the table of contents. Each of these chapters follows the same format: background and history; primary uses and actions; training; sources for the previous information; and an annotated bibliography divided into print resources, Internet resources, and periodicals, magazines, and journals. The more common complementary and alternative therapies are, of course, included: aromatherapy; chiropractic; herbs, vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements; homeopathy; spirituality, religion, and prayer; and therapeutic massage. Some of the less common therapies presented are Alexander technique, ayurveda, Feldenkrais method, flower therapies, Reiki, and tai chi. The coverage of each topic is extensive and complete. As an example of the broad range of each topic, the chapter on therapeutic massage and bodywork begins by discussing the widespread use of massage by various cultures, dating back thousands of years and resurging in the United States in the 1970s. Uses of therapeutic massage along with the formal education and certification required of massage therapists are noted. The annotated bibliography includes forty-four print resources, such as Massage for Beginners and Clinical Massage in the Healthcare Setting. The twenty-one Internet resources include associations, such as the American Massage Therapy Association, and Massage Network, a worldwide directory of massage therapists. Completing the chapter is a listing of seven periodicals on massage. A useful appendix, “Talking with Your Physician about Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” is included with suggestions such as looking to your physician for help in establishing proper dosing for supplements and giving your physician your total health history. The index is a listing of all recommended books, websites, and periodicals—more than 1,000 items in all. The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out About Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a highly recommended resource for all librarians and collection development specialists. It would also prove helpful to persons looking to a career in CAM as well as consumers who are interested in supplementing their health care with reliable therapies.

The Medical Library Association Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries

The Medical Library Association Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries

The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The article reviews the book "The Medical Library Association Guide to Finding Out About Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The Best Print and Electronic Resources," by Gregory A. Crawford.

Answers to the Health Questions People Ask in Libraries: A Medical Library Association Guide

Answers to the Health Questions People Ask in Libraries: A Medical Library Association Guide

Answers to the Health Questions People Ask in Libraries

When consumers look for health information or attempt to answer a specific health question, one of their primary destinations is often their local library. In Answers to the Health Questions People Ask in Libraries, a team of medical librarians in consultation with a physician have identified some of the most common health questions encountered by all types of librarians and then answered those questions in a readable, consumer-friendly format. While the health care consumer is certainly the primary audience for this book, the content will also inform librarians about the kinds of health questions they are most likely to encounter and resources to consult for further information on the topic. Answers to the Health Questions People Ask in Libraries is organized in six broad chapters, each of which begins with a brief overview of the content. The book is ideally used as a reference resource, with a detailed table of contents reflecting the sections covered in each chapter, followed by a list of the specific health questions answered in that section. The answer to each question includes a concise overview of the topic, highlights relevant facts and background information, and concludes with a short list of references. Many of the referenced works are free and accessible on the web. Key points are highlighted in gray boxes, as are pointers to resources for additional information. Each of the chapters concludes with an “Ask the Experts” section that lists the types of health care professionals and specialists trained to address more specific or in-depth questions similar to those discussed in the chapter. The book also contains some very useful appendixes, including a copy of the survey tool used by the authors to collect the questions included in the book. It also includes a summary of the types of libraries that responded to the survey, a glossary of experts with a brief description of the expert's role, and pointers to additional information. An annotated bibliography of print and electronic resources will also assist those seeking more information. Additional navigation of the content is facilitated by a comprehensive index. The primary audience for this work is the health care consumer, and the writing style, organization of content, and appendixes make it a very useful tool for that target group. In addition to libraries, it would be helpful to make the title available in a variety of venues where health care consumers are found, such as clinics, pharmacies, and public health agencies. Librarians will also find the work beneficial because it identifies many of the consumer health questions they are likely to encounter. They can also use the book as a guide when planning consumer health programming as well as a tool for resource discovery and collection development. This title is a nice complement to other recently published consumer health volumes that specifically target librarians such as Michele Spatz's Answering Consumer Health Questions: The Medical Library Association Guide for Reference Librarians and the Medical Library Association Guide to Health Literacy at the Library, edited by Marge Kars, Lynda M. Baker, and Feleta L. Wilson. Answers to the Health Questions People Ask in Libraries is a valuable addition to the consumer health collections of all types of libraries.