CAPHIS at the MLA Annual Meeting » Dallas 2002
Diversity, Demographics, and Disparities in Accessing and Delivering Health Information and Health Care: Part I
5/19/2002 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Sponsored by: Relevant Issues, Consumer and Patient Health Information, Public Health/Health Administration Sections and Complimentary Medicine, Mental Health, Osteopathic, African American, and Outreach SIGs.
The ability to access quality health care may be viewed as a "health parity" issue. Particularly in the areas of mental health, chronic illness, HIV, diseases that affect specific populations, and for the underserved and underinsured, the lack of parity exacts social, economic, and personal costs. In some cases, managed care has only added to this disparity. Presentations:
Fredrick Sandoval -- Mental health parity and disparities among diverse populations
Shari Clifton -- CHAIN: Oklahoma's comprehensive HIV/AIDS information network
Deborah Silverman -- PITTCat for the Consumer: designing a public access catalog for a specific user population
Jonathan Hartmann -- Multifocal medical information outreach: using a variety of approaches to provide tailored medical information and services to targeted user-groups
Stephanie Normann -- Internet connectivity and health information access for underserved community-based organizations: the Houston AIDS Information Link provides a successful model
Mental health parity and disparities among diverse populations
Fredrick. Sandoval, Member, Board of Directors, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Santa Fe, NM
No abstract submitted.
CHAIN: Oklahoma's comprehensive HIV/AIDS information network
Shari Clifton, MLIS, Head, Reference and Instructional Services, Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Robin Insalaco, Assistant Professor/Reference Librarian, Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Roswitha Allin, Assistant Professor/Reference Librarian, Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
This paper will report on the development and implementation of a Website designed to serve as a single point of entry for individuals needing information about HIV/AIDS. This Website was designed to meet the need for a central, statewide resource that would allow those with HIV/AIDS, their families, and their health care providers the ability to quickly and easily access information relevant to HIV/AIDS. Key components of the site will be discussed including a comprehensive resource directory, online library, electronic reference desk, and a calendar of events. Presenters will address how the rural character of the state and other demographic variables impact the delivery of information. Planning a project of this magnitude; development, maintenance, and expansion of the Website; marketing and training concerns; and the collaborative work of project partners will also be discussed in this session.
PITTCat for the Consumer: designing a public access catalog for a specific user population
Deborah Silverman, MLS, Assistant Director for Resource Management, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Malgorzata Fort, Ph.D., Cataloging and Database Management Librarian, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Tamar Smith, M.Ed., MLS, Systems Developer, Information Services, Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, Pittsburgh, PA
Purpose: This paper discusses the development of PITTCat for the Consumer, an online public access catalog (OPAC) for the Health Sciences Library System's (HSLS's) consumer health collections, and the service and technological issues involved in creating an OPAC for a specialized audience. Setting/Participants/Resources: HSLS serves the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health; the University of Pittsburgh; and the hospitals of the UPMC Health System. Consumer health collections managed by HSLS include the Hopwood Library at UPMC Shadyside and the Patient Information Center at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. PITTCat is the OPAC for all University of Pittsburgh libraries. Methodology: Endeavor's WebVoyáge software was used to develop an OPAC for access to the HSLS consumer health collections. Developers examined features and layout of the existing OPAC and identified problems they would pose to the average consumer. Brief Description: While PITTCat is effective for the professional and academic community, it is complex and cumbersome for the public looking for consumer health materials. PITTCat for the Consumer was launched in September 2001 to provide streamlined access to the HSLS consumer health collections. Using the same software as PITTCat and accessing the same bibliographic database (limited to specific collections), the specialized interface is more manageable for the untrained user. Some standard PITTCat features and collections not available to the general public were eliminated or suppressed, and other features, such as QuickTopics, were developed specifically to aid the inexperienced searcher. Results/Outcome: Users of PITTCat for the Consumer find materials specific to their needs without complex searches necessary to maneuver in a very large academic database. Specialized search pages allow access to collection information without any knowledge of OPAC searching. Discussion/Conclusion: Special needs and technological limitations must be weighed carefully when customizing general OPAC software for a specific audience, but it can be done if approached creatively. Evaluation is ongoing, and results will be incorporated into further development.
Multifocal medical information outreach: using a variety of approaches to provide tailored medical information and services to targeted user-groups
Jonathan Hartmann, M.L.S., Outreach Librarian, Raymon H. Mulford Library, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH
Purpose: This paper will report on the use of a variety of means to provide tailored medical information outreach and outreach services to specific user-groups. Setting/Participants/Resources: The Raymon H. Mulford Library, Medical College of Ohio is a large, academic health sciences library in an urban setting. Within the last four years, the library has launched a number of outreach programs for health professionals and the public in Northwest Ohio. Brief Description: The Raymon H. Mulford Library at the Medical College of Ohio provides outreach to Northwest Ohio through a variety of programs designed to meet the unique medical information needs of specific groups of patrons. Due to the differing capabilities and needs of each group of users, each program uses unique means to provide tailored services and information to each group. The Health Information Network for Northwest Ohio program employs a network library catalog to allow registered health professionals in the region to identify and borrow material from any of three network medical and hospital libraries. The Medical College of Ohio Area Health Education Center (AHEC) MedReach program utilizes onsite computers, an educational program in the medical applications of computers, and computer access accounts that allow preceptors and students to access restricted databases and full-text resources from remote locations. The AIDS Info-Access for Northwest Ohio program uses a Website to identify agencies and organizations that provide HIV/AIDS services in the region. Results/Outcome: Twenty computers designed for medical information access have been installed at sites throughout Northwest Ohio; over 120 AHEC preceptors and students have MedReach access accounts; more than 200 health professionals have been trained to access electronic medical information; and three outreach program Websites have been created. Evaluation Method: Usage of all of the outreach programs Websites is monitored, and site users can email comments and suggestions. All program educational sessions are evaluated by participants. Overall formal evaluation and informal feedback on the programs has been very positive.
Internet connectivity and health information access for underserved community-based organizations: the Houston AIDS Information Link provides a successful model
Stephanie. Normann, Administrator for Information Services, School of Public Health, University of Texas−Houston, Houston, TX
The Houston AIDS Information Link (HAIL) is a voluntary consortium made up of culturally diverse treatment, service, and educational organizations organized to provide HIV positive individuals, health care workers, and the affected community with immediate access to HIV/AIDS and wellness information via the Internet. The consortium was formed in 1994 with funding from the National Library of Medicine's first AIDS Community Outreach Grants (RFQs). Five expansion/extension grants allowed the consortium to "formally" continue through November 2001, and now we expect to continue less formally holding quarterly rather than monthly meetings. Our Web page, (www.HAILinfo.org) is kept current with both links to HIV/AIDS Internet information and member agency information. Communication is maintained with members through personal contact and email. This paper focuses on what benefits accrued to the CBOs, what organizational factors helped HAIL accomplish its objectives, and what lessons can be shared with other library or information organizations working with community-based organizations to increase their success.Dollars and Sense: Part I
5/19/2002 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Sponsored by: Collection Development Section, Technical Services, Hospital Libraries, Consumer and Patient Health Information, Public Services, and Federal Libraries Sections
Tom Sanville, Executive Director of OhioLINK (a consortium funded by Ohio legislature), will begin this two part series by discussing the consortial purchase of journal packages from publishers and their usage by multitype libraries and its implications for library selection, access, interlibrary loan, and cost.
A method out of the madness: OhioLINK'S collaborative response to the serials crisis
Tom Sanville, Executive Director, n/a, OhioLINK, Columbus, OH
The current practices of journal acquisition are grounded in the legacy of a print-bound world in which each library is an island of access for its own patrons. With electronic desktop delivery to information, increased ease of access allows far greater information use than previously possible. The extent of this additional use is still an open question, but, based upon the OhioLINK experience thus far, it appears that improved ease of access has demonstrated the high elasticity in information usage. Libraries and consortia must seek to enable this desirable outcome by adopting sustainable purchase models that provide for expanded journal access. The first forty-eight months of operation of the OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center (EJC) is an exemplary illustration of the dramatic benefits of expanded access for both university and medical libraries. Small and two-year colleges are also beneficiaries through first-time access to scholarly journals. With the continuation in eroding library collections that prove to be even more inadequate in an electronic information environment, libraries and consortia must take advantage of the opportunities illustrated by the EJC that fashion, through an evolutionary process, a sustainable economic model of information purchase that maximizes information use.
Diversity, Demographics, and Disparities in Accessing and Delivering Health Information and Health Care: Part II
5/20/2002 10:30 - 12:00 pm
Sponsored by: Chiropractic Libraries Section, Relevant Issues, Consumer and Patient Health Information and Public Health/Health Administration Sections and Complementary Medicine, Mental Health, Osteopathic Libraries, African American Medical Librarians Alliance, and Outreach SIGs
Interest in the use of alternative and complementary therapies (broadly defined to include everything from herbals to touch therapies to indigenous health care systems) has grown from the trendy to the scientific. What is less clear is whether consumer access to information about or access to these therapies, is limited by age, gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, geography, or economic status. Papers should address issues of diversity and demographics as they relate to these "other" therapies.
Presentations:
Julia S. Whelan -- HolisticKids.org: a collaborative project on integrative medicine Web-education for pediatric residents
Margaret Butkovic -- Web-based index to chiropractic literature
Margaret A. Allen -- Hmong Health Information Promotion Project: Wausau, Wisconsin, and beyond
HolisticKids.org: a collaborative project on integrative medicine Web-education for pediatric residents
Julia S. Whelan, MS, Senior Outreach Librarian, Treadwell Library, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Lana Dvorkin, Pharm.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA
Purpose: This paper discusses the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of a Website designed to educate pediatric residents on integrative (conventional and alternative medicine) approaches to patient care. Other potential uses for this site will also be discussed. Setting/Participants/Resources: This project came from a long-standing collaboration between the Center for Holistic Pediatric Education and Research (CHPER), Children's Hospital, and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), Boston. Participants included medical librarians, pharmacists, physicians, Web developers, and other health care practitioners. Brief Description: The Website was developed as a part of a National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Integrative Pediatric Education grant. Major information areas of this complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) Website include: Overview of Therapies, Disease-Related Topics, Information and Education Resources, and Local Practitioners. The section on "Overview of Therapies" allows a novice to learn basic facts about diverse CAM modalities. Medical students and residents preparing for clinic conferences can use Disease-Related Topics. Tools provided in this section include updated PubMed searches, chapters from the Holistic Pediatrician textbook, slide presentations, and clinical summaries on most common pediatric conditions. Information and Education Resources allows users to expand their knowledge through local libraries, selected reputable Websites, various CAM educational programs, and consultation with a CAM information specialist. The last component of the site, Local Practitioners, offers visitors resources for finding a wide variety of CAM practitioners. Results/Outcome: This ongoing project has attracted interest from local, national, and international constituents. New features have been added and the site is constantly updated. An application has been submitted for HON code approval. Evaluation Method: Ongoing evaluation of the Website is being performed with the help of a Web-log analyzer software product. Focus groups for residents and medical students are being organized. Evaluative comments are received from the participants of the NCCAM grant on a continuing basis.
Web-based index to chiropractic literature
Margaret Butkovic, Director of Library Services, C. C. Clemmer Health Sciences Library, Canadian Chiropractic College, Toronto, ON
The Index to Chiropractic Literature (ICL) is a database of chiropractic citations created and maintained as a free resource to the chiropractic university or college community, the chiropractic profession, and the public at large (www.chiroindex.org). Fifteen librarians currently participate in its publication, indexing all chiropractic peer-reviewed journals cover-to-cover and other chiropractic journals topically. Commercial databases such as the Cumulative Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Manual Alternative and Natural Therapies (MANTIS), and Alt-Healthwatch also cover certain aspects of chiropractic. Each database has its strengths and weaknesses. Overall, however, they complement each other and provide a valuable core of information.
Hmong Health Information Promotion Project: Wausau, Wisconsin, and beyond
Margaret A. Allen, MLS, AHIP, Library Consultant, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Wausau, WI
Suzanne Matthew, Ph.D., Executive Director, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Wausau, WI
Diana Robertson, MLS, Library Services Coordinator, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Wausau, WI
Mark Scully, MLS, Outreach Librarian, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Wausau, WI
Jan Kraus, MLS, Library Manager & Patient Education Website Administrator, Joseph Smith Medical Library, Community Health Care/Wausau Hospital, Wausau, WI
Purpose: This paper will report on first year results of our two-year NLM-funded Hmong Health Information Promotion Project, which focuses on the health information needs of the Hmong in Wisconsin. The Hmong people are a new immigrant refugee group in Wisconsin and other states. The U.S. Hmong population is in transition from an agrarian society in Laos to life in 21st century America. As a group, they have limited English language skills and unique health information needs. Setting/Participants/Resources: Local partners include: Northern Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, Community Health Care/Wausau Hospital, Marathon County Public Library, Marathon County Health Department, Marshfield Clinic; Neighbor's Place, University of Wisconsin (UW) Family Medicine clinics and health sciences programs, Wausau Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, and the Wisconsin Children's Service Society Northern Region/Hmong Mental Health Institute. Brief Description: This project develops Hmong health information resources in several formats, including women's health conferences, health information videos, and bilingual electronic documents suitable for reproduction. It includes a health information literacy program for the area Hmong population, working with the public library and community service agencies to train Hmong youth and bilingual health workers to work as Internet /health information coaches with their families and others in the community. It also includes train-the-trainer education for local librarians and health educators, focused on the technical and cultural skills required to work with this population. Our HmongHealth Website is planned to provide online and CD-ROM access to these resources, as well as training materials and conference information. Results/Outcome: The paper will feature the processes used to assess Hmong health information needs as a basis for the bilingual HmongHealth Website to be developed at www.hmonghealth.org. It will also feature other project activities, including health information literacy training, video productions, and planning for Hmong women's health conferences. Handouts will include publicity materials and a link for training materials on the Web. Evaluation Method: The project will use Website usability focus group and online feedback, conference and workshop participant evaluations including follow-up surveys for health information literacy training.
Dollars and Sense: Part II
5/20/2002 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Sponsored by: Consumer and Patient Health Information Section, Collection Development, Hospital Libraries Technical Services, Public Services, and Federal Libraries Sections.
Contributed papers in which a panel of health sciences librarians will describe their experiences participating in multitype library consortia as well as experiences collaborating with community health agencies to provide health information. Contributors should focus on successes in terms of building their collections for less and expanding their service base and visibility.
Presentations:
Ann Duesing -- Doubling dollars, making sense: collaborating with a community cancer health coalition
Mary S. Edgerly -- Electronic health information for the public project: Western Maryland InfoHealth
Susan C. Steelman -- Networking consumer health information in Arkansas: the ARCHIN experience
Micki McIntyre -- Information for healthy living: HealthyNJ–providing statewide consumer health using an integrated Web-based approach
Doubling dollars, making sense: collaborating with a community cancer health coalition
Ann Duesing, MLS, UVa College at Wise Outreach Librarian, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia, Wise, VA
Gabriel R. Rios, MLIS, AHIP, Assistant Director for Information Services and Technology, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Gretchen N. Arnold, AHIP, Associate Director for Operations, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Purpose: This paper will discuss the collaboration of the outreach librarian with the community-based cancer coalition to obtain financial and community support to establish a cancer resource center in a nonclinical setting for cancer patients and families of the region. Setting/Participants/Resources: One segment of the University of Virginia Health Sciences Library Outreach Program is based in rural Southwestern Virginia (SWVA). The SWVA outreach librarian began working with a community cancer coalition, Central Highlands Appalachia Leadership Initiative on Cancer (CHALIC), in 1998. Through this partnership a cancer information center is being developed. Several grants and one NN/LM subcontract have been obtained by the partners to purchase equipment, hire a program coordinator, and begin developing the volunteer network that will become the information providers for the center. Brief Description: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in this rural area. To help combat this disease, CHALIC was formed in 1993. When the outreach librarian joined the coalition in 1998, efforts were focused on the need for cancer information resources. This paper describes the strategies used to establish a cancer information center through grants and an NN/LM subcontract, as well as fiscal and organizational support, locally and regionally. Result/Conclusion: The result has been more than an expansion of outreach budget resources; it has provided a positive impact on community health, an opportunity to develop a partnership with community health leaders, and an immense increase in the outreach program visibility in the region.
Electronic health information for the public project: Western Maryland InfoHealth
Mary S. Edgerly, MA, MLIS, Reference Librarian, Lewis J. Ort Library, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD
Purpose: This paper will report on a project designed and implemented by a consortium to assess the public's health information needs and improve access to quality electronic health information in a specific region. Setting/Participants/Resources: The project took place in a rural/semi-rural area with disparities in health care based on socioeconomic and geographic factors. A consortium of public, academic, and health science librarians developed and implemented the project. Brief Description: The project's goals included assessing regional residents' health information needs using a print and online health information needs assessment; training librarians, health professionals, and service providers on accessing electronic health information to better serve clients; and developing and publishing a Website of locally available health resources. Results/Outcome: By working together as a consortium, the librarians who developed and implemented this project were able to reach more people and provide more services than they could have working alone. Due to the geographic isolation of the service area and the paucity of local resources, the consortium approach was vital to developing and completing the project, which also received funding from a federal agency. Thirty-six librarians and twenty-one service providers received initial training on electronic health resources, and thirty-eight of these individuals also received follow-up training. As a direct result of the training, information requests at the region's Primary Access Library were increased. The project's Website links to health information and resources, including full-text resources, for three counties. The Website is a unique resource in the area. The Health Information Needs Assessment was completed by 128 persons. The results are not from a representative sample and are not statistically significant; however, they do provide data to help the librarians understand their audience and plan future activities. Evaluation Method: The needs assessment explored the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of residents regarding electronic health information, and findings are reported in the contributed paper. Training participants completed evaluation tools, and a follow-up survey assessed the value of the training after time had passed. The Website includes a hit counter and feedback form.
Networking consumer health information in Arkansas: the ARCHIN experience
Mary L. Ryan, MLS, AHIP, Library Director, UAMS Library, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Susan C. Steelman, MLIS, Coordinator of Outreach Services, UAMS Library, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Purpose: This paper will report on the creation of a consumer health information network in Arkansas and the Website ARHealthLINK. Setting/Participants/Resources: The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Library is the primary academic health sciences library in predominantly rural Arkansas. Within the last year, the library has been the driving force behind the creation of a state-wide consumer health information (CHI) Website (www.arhealthlink.org), which went live in October 2000. A main feature of the site is the provision of Arkansas-specific health information. Brief Description: Since 1998, the UAMS Library has spearheaded the cooperative effort to build the Arkansas Consumer Health Information Network (ARCHIN). Numerous public and academic libraries, health agencies, and groups have worked together to create a network of consumer health information providers in the state. Issues addressed include: the purpose of the project, the planning and development of the network and its task forces, and the funding and creation of the ARHealthLINK Website. Results/Outcome: This ongoing project has created a relationship among CHI providers and librarians across Arkansas. The Website acts as a central source for authoritative national health resources and Arkansas-specific health information. Evaluation Method: Evaluation methods include feedback forms, email comments, and statistical software for analyzing use of the ARHealthLINK site.
Information for healthy living: Healthy NJ - providing statewide consumer health using an integrated Web-based approach
Micki McIntyre, MS, HealthyNJ Librarian, Health Sciences Library at Stratford, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
Judy. S. Cohn, Acting University Librarian, George F. Smith Library, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
Janice. K. Skica, MS, Campus Library Director, Health Sciences Library at Stratford, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
Cathy Weglarz, MLS, Information Management Librarian, Robert Wood Johnson Library of the Health Sciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
Purpose: Describe the development and implementation of an integrated statewide consumer health Website, HealthyNJ. Information outlines a strategic approach to delivering an easily navigable, objective Website for use by librarians and consumers throughout the state. Using a realistic scenario, the audience will experience the uniquely integrated features of HealthyNJ. Setting/Participants/Resources: The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is the state university of the health sciences and is the nation's largest of its kind. UMDNJ has a major goal relating to community impact and diversity. HealthyNJ is an application of community service delivered using Web technology. Outside funding partners and collaborators include the New Jersey State Library, the New Jersey Library Association, and Verizon-New Jersey. Brief Description: According to a Pew Internet and American Life Project report, more than fifty-two million Americans visit the Web for health information. Librarians and the public must be discriminating in their appraisal of the health information found on the Web. It is especially important to critically evaluate information found in the health and medicine areas. HealthyNJ is a consumer health Website that offers links to critically reviewed health information on the Internet. HealthyNJ does not create original content but aggregates sites from around the world. The information is divided into four major categories: Diseases and Conditions, Health and Wellness, The Reference Desk, and Health in New Jersey. The site is integrated in many unique ways. A tour of the site illustrating how consumers may easily navigate from general descriptions, to recommended Web resources, to information specific to New Jersey residents, to chat rooms and news groups, culminating with preformatted PubMed searches run in real time will be presented. Librarians created and maintain the HealthyNJ Website. The site has grown to include more than 140 topics. Spanish-language content has been recently incorporated. During the next six months, major roll-out activities are planned at public libraries throughout New Jersey. The collaboration among statewide partners, public, association, and corporate provides not only funding support but insight and access to multitype libraries and their constituents throughout the state.
The Value and Values of Libraries
5/20/2002 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Sponsored by the Public Services and Consumer and Patient Health Information Section
Michael Gorman will speak on the eight core values that he advanced in his "Our enduring values" (ALA Books, 2000) and will seek to relate them to libraries in an increasingly technological age. He maintains that these values are applicable to all libraries--even those, such as medical libraries--that have embraced the most advanced aspects of technology.
The value and values of libraries
Michael Gorman, Dean of Library Services, Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA
Michael Gorman will speak on the eight core values that he advanced in his Our Enduring Values (ALA Books, 2000) and will relate them to libraries in an increasingly technological age. He maintains that these values are applicable to all libraries–even those, such as medical libraries–that have embraced the most advanced aspects of technology.
Dealing With Tough Questions
5/22/2002 9:00 - 10:30 am
Sponsored by: Consumer and Patient Health Information Section, Cancer Librarians, Nursing & Allied Health Resources, Veterinary Medicine, Federal Libraries Sections, and Mental Health SIG
Librarians from all types of medical libraries are becoming more actively involved with consumer health and patient education. Speaker Gail Rink, MSW, award winning Hospice educator and counselor, will share techniques for dealing with questions on life & death issues, tough medical choices, and grief. Presentations:
Dealing with tough questions
Gail. M. Rink, MSW, Hospice of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Death and grief are certain to happen to all of us! Yet, both certainties are met with fear, avoidance, and pretense. Talking about dying is often seen as fatalistic or superstitious. Sharing the sorrow of grief is received as depressing, maudlin, or self-indulgent. At best, it is awkward to communicate with someone else about dying, death, and grief. And so, many people seek solace and information from the written, rather than the spoken word. This workshop will examine possible dialogues that medical librarians can have when someone asks sensitive questions. Participants should come prepared to examine their own attitudes toward dying, death, and grief. Effective dialoging requires familiarity with the topic and comfort talking about it.
Consumer and Patient Health Information Section Business Meeting
5/21/2002 1:00 - 2:30 pm
To learn more, visit the MLA 2002 web site at: http://www.mlanet.org/archive/am/am2002/index.html