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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Claire J. Twose, MLIS¹, Kathleen Burr Oliver, MPH, MLS², Patricia Swartz, MPH², and Edward Bunker, MPH³. (1) Welch Library, Johns Hopkins University, 1900 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-502-0490, ctwose1@jhmi.edu, (2) Division of Health Sciences Informatics, Johns Hopkins University, 1900 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, (3) College of Health Sciences, American University of Armenia, 40 Marshal Baghramian, Room #41d, Yerevan, 375019, Armenia

This pilot project was designed to increase understanding of the information needs and use of county public health practitioners and explore new approaches for meeting them. From June 2005 to May 2006 Johns Hopkins Division of Health Sciences Informatics partnered with two Maryland county public health departments by offering a course in public health information resources to nine public health practitioners in each of the two counties. Along with training sessions they received access to all licensed electronic resources of the University's Welch Medical Library and other public resources through an individually tailored Web portal. A professional librarian provided consulting services. For training and for data gathering each participant was also shadowed for a period during daily work activities. Participants included health officers, epidemiologists, nurses, outreach workers and health planners. Analysis of data will combine usage statistics from the Web portal, self-reported needs and observational data collected during training and shadowing of participants. It is anticipated that this will provide a uniquely in-depth picture of these public health workers' information needs and use. It will also provide a test of the feasibility of an online portal for access to licensed information by public health practitioners. This presentation will review: 1. existing literature on information needs of public health practitioners; 2. the contribution to understanding these needs at a more specific level this pilot project made by using a combination of instructional and evaluation techniques. The presentation will also address limitations of the technology and discrepancies between self-report and observed behavior.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to

• Describe what is documented in the literature currently about the information needs of public health practitioners
• Articulate some of the strengths and weaknesses of providing access to information via Web portals for county level public health practitioners

Keywords: Public Health Informatics, Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No