Category Archives: public health - p3

Low health literacy knows no boundary — just watch this video.

A recent study (Tuijn, Hoefman et al. 2011) sought to “determine the feasibility of using mobile phones for capturing microscopy images and transferring these to a central database for assessment, feedback and educational purposes.” In Low- and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), poor communication and long distances between rural health clinics and their urban counterparts makes [...]

As reported in the Colorado Springs newspaper The Gazette, El Paso County Public Health has partnered with Harrison High School to integrate health literacy education into classes beyond the traditional physical education and health offerings. Their goal is “to create a model that can be used by schools statewide to improve knowledge about all things [...]

As noted in a previous post, health literacy includes everything from the ability to get care in our complex healthcare system down to being able to understand the instructions on your prescription medicine bottle. A basic foundation to being literate about healthcare is the ability to ask questions. But if your primary language is not [...]

The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library is hosting  TOXNET and Beyond: Using the National Library of Medicine’s Environmental and Toxicology Portal webinar on Wednesday, June 1 and Friday, June 3. Stephanie Publicker, from Specialized Information Services, will present these two sessions via Adobe Connect. Please join us in the Eccles Health Sciences Education Building, [...]

Join us on Wednesday, March 30 at 11 am MT / 12 noon CT for a one hour session to learn about MedlinePlus Connect, NLM’s free tool that connects electronic health record and personal health record systems to MedlinePlus. The seminar will be presented by our own Sharon Dennis, Technology Coordinator for the NN/LM MidContinental [...]

Are you or someone you know using or considering using herbal remedies or dietary supplements? Wondering if there is a reliable source of information on their effectiveness, usual dosage, and drug interactions? MedlinePlus recently released 100 new herb and supplement monographs in English and Spanish from Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version (NMCD). These monographs [...]

Do you know someone who needs health information but English is not her/his primary language? Medline Plus‘ website offers links to health information in other languages, from Amharic to Urdu and Vietnamese. In addition, by clicking on a link located on the home page, you can view Medline Plus in a Spanish-language version. This service [...]

As noted in the weekly MidContinental Region News newsletter: “Last week, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services launched HealthCare.gov, a new online tool for consumers. The site connects consumers with information and resources to help them access quality, affordable coverage in their community.”

A recent article in the online version of the Southtown Star (Chicago, IL) reads, “Doctors see more cases of ‘Google’-itis.” It goes on to illustrate how every day people are searching the Web trying to diagnose every odd symptom they have. One physician left his daughter’s basketball game at halftime when a panicked parent was [...]