The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #65596

Rachael Stupart¹, Carole A. Morris¹, Mette Tranter, Dr², Linda Semple², and Laura Bowers, BSc². (1) Lothian NHS Board, Deaconess House, 148 Pleasance, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, (2) Public Health and Health Policy, Lothian NHS Board, Deaconess House, 148 Pleasance, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The National Health Service (NHS) in Edinburgh acquires information from various sources. One information provider is the Health Intelligence and Policy Unit (HIPU) based within Public Health. HIPU consists of researchers, analysts and Web experts and their main remit is to provide data analysis, research and information management skills to a wide variety of information requestors.

The HINT (Health Intelligence) project is the development of an online information service by HIPU. The purpose of HINT is primarily to ensure that work produced by HIPU is made readily available to all of those to whom it may be of interest, rather than just to the original requestor. In addition HINT acts as a portal and host to important resources identified by HIPU staff. All of these resources are classified by health topic. User demand has resulted in the development of a number of supplementary functions, including sections to encourage the exchange of information and to provide guidance on research, data analysis and funding.

The project demonstrates how such a professional health information resource can be developed and maintained within the existing workload of a small department. Good content creation and management systems are key to achieving this, coupled with the active involvement of all departmental staff and other interested parties. Furthermore, the project highlights the value of providing wide access to locally generated and locally relevant information, and how the potential audience can be maximised by addressing issues of accessibility and interoperability.

Learning Objectives:

• The participant in this session will be able to identify a wide range of issues that should be taken into account when developing a local online health information service for health professionals.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.