WMLA Annual Meeting 2006

Health Literacy: Implications for Health Science Librarians

Registration Form

Friday March 31, 2006
8:30 - 9:30 WMLA Business Meeting
9:30 - 9:45 NN/LM report
9:45 - 10:15 MD Consult PNC Consortium, Sean Carroll
10:15 - 10:30 Break

10:30 - 12:00
Health Literacy Efforts from the Medical Librarian Perspective

Beth Hill, BSW, MLIS, AHIP, Univ. of Idaho
In this session, the issue of limited health literacy will be discussed from the viewpoint of the medical librarian. Medical libraries and librarians have become involved in efforts to address limited health literacy through NNLM outreach grant programs. A brief history of those program efforts will be reviewed. Comments from interviews with MLA President M.J. Tooey and others, on roles of medical librarians in health literacy efforts, will be presented. Expanded roles could include becoming members of interdisciplinary teams in clinical and outpatient settings, as well as creating collaborative relationships with fields such as adult basic education and health education. The health information literacy model demands more exploration, as it is one in which medical librarians are well suited.

1:15 – 2:45
An Expanded View of Health Literacy

Josephine Ensign, Univ. of Washington
Health literacy in the US has focused almost exclusively on the issues of adults and on doctorpatient communication as well as patient compliance with prescribed medications. In this session we will discuss the expanded World Health Organization definition of health literacy, as well as the ramifications of its application to health literacy work with younger population groups in the
US. Current models of public library and primary care health literacy projects in Seattle will be presented.

2:45 – 3:15 Break
3:15 – 4:00 PM Reports from the membership & I-School
I-School Liason
Health Literacy Efforts
Patient Safety & Patient Quality Efforts
Marketing Successes
Intranet
Technology