Mary Grace Flaherty

Statewide Initiative to Embed Consumer Health Librarians in Public Libraries: A Case Study

In 2004 a collaborative, statewide outreach project in Delaware was undertaken where consumer health librarians were embedded in public libraries. In order to explore the effect of the embedded librarians on the quality of health information provision, unobtrusive reference visits were made to half of the public libraries in the state. The query “Do vaccines cause autism?” was posed to library staff; resources provided were recorded. In 67 percent of visits, public library staff provided authoritative health information resources. It appears the embedded librarians had a positive residual effect on the provision of authoritative health resources for addressing an ambiguous query.

Diagnosis of life-threatening alpha-gal food allergy appears to be patient driven

Objective: Patients exhibiting life-threatening symptoms associated with the alpha-gal food allergy (delayed urticaria or anaphylaxis due to mammalian meat) are frequently undiagnosed, causing unnecessary emergency department (ED) and health care visits, and extensive pain and suffering. This study aimed to determine the path to diagnosis experienced by alpha-gal patients. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted from March to June 2016 with a chronological systematic sample of approximately 10% of patients diagnosed with alpha-gal and treated by the University of North Carolina Allergy and Immunology Clinic (n = 28). Main outcome measures included average length of time between first symptoms’ appearance and diagnosis, number and type of health care encounters en route to diagnosis, and typical symptom severity. Results: Six interviewees (21%) were diagnosed within a year of experiencing symptoms, of the remaining 22, mean time to diagnosis was 7.1 years. In over 100 medical encounters (including 28 ED visits and 2 urgent care) the correct diagnosis or effective diagnosing referral occurred less than 10% of the time. Seventy-one percent (20/28) described their first symptoms as severe. More patients found the allergist specializing in this condition on their own (n = 12; 43%) than those who were formally diagnosed or received referrals (n = 10; 36%) through the health care system. Conclusions: The medical community is challenged to stay abreast of emerging and newly uncovered illnesses through traditional medical literature communication channels. Presently, patients more often discover a diagnosis of alpha-gal allergy by using information resources on their own than by presenting to the ED with anaphylaxis.

Health information: print materials assessment in public libraries

Purpose The purpose this study was to determine currency of print health materials readily available in North Carolina public libraries, through a statewide assessment. Two subject areas were examined: health reference and diabetes. Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 randomly selected public libraries were visited and unobtrusive stacks assessments were completed. Some months later, the libraries’ websites were examined for collection development policies, and online catalogs were searched using the keyword diabetes to identify possible discrepancies and additions. Findings For visits, publication dates for reference books ranged from 1899-2014 and the average number of holdings was 10 (range 0-30). The most common reference item, the AMA Family Medical Guide (2005), was available in 6 of 30 libraries. In diabetes collections, publication dates ranged from 1983-2013; the average number of books was nine (range 0-26). The Atkins Diabetes Revolution (2004) was the most common, available in 9 of 30 libraries. Two-thirds of libraries did not have a collection development policy online. Catalog searches revealed 10 titles prior to 1983 and 18 titles (non-cook books) from 2014-2016. Practical implications The study found overall that print health reference books were outdated. In diabetes collections, there were also many outdated items. It appears that regular weeding to assure currency of print health literature is not taking place. Originality/value The study demonstrates that public libraries may not be providing optimal print health information. With unprecedented access, it is imperative that librarians in all types of settings aid in health literacy promotion by assuring access to reliable and timely health information.

Exploratory Study of Health Information Seeking

ABSTRACT As a class project, 30 individuals were interviewed on health information seeking. The majority turned to Google; half of all participants reported their first source answered their question adequately. Sixteen of 30 indicated they use different resources for different health information needs. Eighty percent of participants reported a high degree of comfort with searching. Forty-seven percent rated themselves as “very comfortable” and 33% rated their comfort level as a four on a five-point scale (one being very uncomfortable and five being very comfortable), though the sources listed were not always credible per current guidelines for assessing health information quality.

Patients’ Health Information Practices and Perceptions of Provider Knowledge in the Case of the Newly Discovered Alpha-gal Food Allergy:

Background: Alpha-gal food allergy is a life-threatening, newly discovered condition with limited presence in authoritative information sources. Sufferers seeking diagnosis are likely to encounter clinicians unfamiliar with the condition. Objective: To understand information practices of individuals diagnosed with alpha-gal allergy, how they obtained diagnosis, and their perceptions of health-care providers’ awareness of the condition. Methods: Semistructured interviews with open- and closed-ended questions were completed with a chronological systematic sample of 28 adults (11% of alpha-gal clinic patients at the time) diagnosed with alpha-gal allergy and treated at University of North Carolina Allergy and Immunology Clinic. Results: The majority of patients determined they had alpha-gal allergy through nontraditional health information channels. Three-quarters of patients rated their primary care provider as having little to no knowledge. In 25 specialists’ encounters, 23 were rated as having little to no knowledge. Conclusion: With new conditions, information is often available through informal networks before appearing in the vetted medical literature. In this study, social connections were the primary pathway to successful diagnosis. Health practitioners need to develop mechanisms to understand that process.

Public Libraries: A Community-Level Resource to Advance Population Health

Policy makers and public health practitioners rarely consider public libraries to be part of the health system, even though they possess several characteristics that suggest unrealized potential to advance population health. This scoping review uses an adapted social determinants framework to categorize current health-related work conducted by public libraries in the United States and to discuss libraries’ potential as ‘meso-level’ community resources to improve population health. Our discussion of libraries contributes to scholarship on place-based health disparities, by emphasizing the potential impact of institutions that are modifiable through social policy—e.g., parks, community centers, schools—and which have a conceptually clear or empirically documented relationship to health.

Good value: health information and the MSLS librarian

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of the MSLS degree in health sciences library settings. Design/methodology/approach This is a discourse and preliminary analysis supported with research from the literature. Findings The value of the MSLS degree in the health sciences library setting is well recognized. Health sciences librarians’ efforts to evaluate and quantify positive impact of services can provide a useful model for the information and library science field. Research limitations/implications As this is a preliminary discussion, an exhaustive literature analysis was not undertaken. Originality/value A model for empirical-based research, borne out of the health sciences library specialty, can contribute to more effective methods for evaluating general library service and the overall value of the MSLS degree.