Health Information Outreach Program - Introduction

MISSION

The mission of the Health Information Outreach Program is to educate health professionals and the general public on the availability and use of high quality health information resources.

INTRODUCTION TO OUTREACH

Outreach is going past boundaries. Boundaries may be defined by any number of factors including location such as the library, the institution, the community or cultural factors such as race, national origin, age, education, religion, profession. An outreach program is one that by-passes identified boundaries to provide services to persons not reached by traditional services.

At Kornhauser Health Sciences Library (KHSL), outreach refers to going outside the library and the university to reach health information users in the community. Since the Commonwealth of Kentucky has medical schools at two major universities, responsibility for providing outreach has been divided geographically between these two institutions. Thus the KHSL at the University of Louisville provides outreach to persons in the western half of the Commonwealth. Furthermore, since the University of Louisville is located in the City of Louisville, on the border of Indiana, the KHSL outreach programs includes the southeastern counties of Indiana.

NN/LM RESOURCE LIBRARY

The University of Louisville’s Kornhauser Health Sciences Library (KHSL) is a Resource Library within the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) Greater Midwest Region (GMR). Resource Libraries throughout the country provide outreach services to Network Members, health professionals, and the public on behalf of the National Library of Medicine.

As a Resource Library, KHSL works with AHEC libraries, hospital libraries, individual health professionals, and non-health sciences libraries and organization to improve access to health information in the region. This involves publicizing the activities and resources of the NN/LM including the world’s largest medical database, PubMed, as well as consumer health information through MedlinePlus and other databases critical to biomedical research and health information.

For more information concerning KHSL's Health Care Outreach Program, contact Carol Brinkman at 502/852-1008 or . For more information about the National Library of Medicine's outreach programs, visittheNational Library of Medicine Fact Sheet on Outreach.

FOCUS

The Health Information Outreach Program offered by KHSL provides services to three distinct user populations: 1) faculty and students affiliated with the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center who are working off campus, 2 ) health professionals not affiliated with the educational programs at the University of Louisville, including but not limited to doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, nutritionists, therapists (physical, occupational, respiratory, etc.), radiologists, social and public health workers, and pharmacists.; 3) individual consumers, consumer organizations, and information providers such as libraries, schools, religious and social groups.

The underlying goal of the Program for both user populations is to provide education on how to obtain current, reliable information on health care issues. To reach this goal the program may provide, but is not limited to, training workshops, exhibits, consulting, web and literature guides, and bibliographies. Due to the limited resources available for the Program, workshops and exhibits will normally be limited to locations within 120 miles of Louisville. Consulting may be provided at the Kornhauser Health Sciences Library or via e-mail.

PARTNERSHIPS

In order to expand the program to the greatest degree possible, KHSL seeks internal and external partnerships and will work collaboratively with individuals and organizations to promote health care education.The most critical internal partnerships will be those with KHSL faculty who have responsibilities in assessment, planning, marketing, reference, instruction, and web site maintenance as well as the librarian at the University Hospital. External partnerships should include other libraries, Regional AHEC Librarians, community leaders and organizations, hospitals and clinics, county health departments, and other health care agencies within Louisville and western Kentucky.

KHSL has institutional memberships with various library-related organizations across the commonwealth. These organizations are potential partners for the Outreach Program.
Medical Library Association (MLA)
National Network of Libraries of Medicine – Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM GMR)
Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL)
Kentucky Medical Library Association (KMLA)
Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL)

FUNDING

External funding will be crucial to the development and implementation of the KHSL Health Information Outreach Program. Funding sources will primarily consist of grants from educational, health science and library organizations including the National Library of Medicine and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

GOAL 1: Assist RML in planning, coordinating and implementing outreach programs
to promote health information to unaffiliated health professionals, information providers, and to consumers.

• Objective 1: Conduct periodic literature and web site reviews to identify new trends
  and programs in health information outreach.
• Objective 2: Establish parameters, goals and objectives, and services for the Health Information Outreach Program at Kornhauser Health Sciences Library.
• Objective 3: Participate in activities and organizations in Kentucky that promote health information.

GOAL 2: Assist RML in identifying underserved areas and underserved groups of health
professionals and consumers in the Louisville and western Kentucky regions.

• Objective 1: Conduct periodic assessment of the needs of various groups of health
  professionals and consumers.
• Objective 2: Establish contacts with community organizations, particularly those concerned with underserved groups and minorities.
• Objective 3: Perform consultations with individuals, groups and organizations to assess health information needs.

GOAL 3: Provide reference service and collection access to unaffiliated health professionals in the Louisville and western Kentucky regions and to UofL affiliated health professionals working off-campus.

• Objective 1: Offer reference service by phone, e-mail and in-person from the Kornhauser
  Health Sciences Library.
• Objective 2: Assist with literature searches, search construction and document acquisition.
• Objective 3: Promote the library services of the Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, the NLM and NN/LM to health professionals.

GOAL 4: Support the NLM and NN/LM exhibit program by staffing exhibits coordinated by RML, by informing RML about possible exhibit opportunities in the Louisville and western Kentucky regions, and by exhibiting at local events.

• Objective 1: Promote information sources and services through exhibits and demonstrations
  for health professionals at conferences and other events as opportunities arise.
• Objective 2: Provide health information to consumers through exhibits and demonstrations at
  health fairs and other community events.
• Objective 3: Exhibit and demonstrate health information sources to librarians and other
  information providers at conferences and other events.

GOAL 5: Provide training in NLM and KHSL resources to health professionals, librarians and consumers in the Louisville and western Kentucky regions.

• Objective 1: Offer training programs on health information resources for health professionals.
• Objective 2: Provide training on the availability and use of health information sources for librarians and other information providers as opportunities arise.
• Objective 3: Conduct workshops for consumers on accessing and obtaining health information.

GOAL 6: Create materials to support training on, exhibiting of and promotion of health information to health professionals and consumers.

• Objective 1: Develop and maintain an Outreach Program webpage for the Kornhauser Health Sciences Library web site
• Objective 2: Coordinate an initiative with KYVL, the UK Medical Center Library, and area AHEC Librarians to develop, implement and maintain a website for health information outreach to consumers.
• Objective 3: Develop bibliographies of consumer health resources on various topics.
• Objective 4: Identify and create a website of medical facilities, clinics, health organizations, county health departments, patient support groups and other health agencies in the Louisville and western Kentucky regions.

GOAL 7: Develop or obtain the support necessary for the development and implementation of the Outreach Program at Kornhauser Library.

• Objective 1: Establish collaborative relationships with individuals and groups interested in the
  provision of health information to health professionals and consumers.
• Objective 2: Work with the Outreach Librarian and the Diversity Officer at Ekstrom Library
  to plan and carry out collaborative outreach activities.
• Objective 3: Apply for grants from NLM, the NN/LM and other sources.
• Objective 4: Investigate other sources of funding including revenue generating service programs.

GOAL 8: Evaluate the Outreach Program and provide reports as required.

• Objective 1: Develop appropriate evaluation tools to assess outreach activities.
• Objective 2: Distribute evaluations to at least 50% of training sessions.
• Objective 3: Conduct an annual assessment on the effectiveness of the overall outreach program.
• Objective 4: Submit reports to NN/LM and others as required or appropriate.