Health Information and Libraries Journal最新文献

This editorial explains the history of the Health Information and Libraries Journal from 1984 to 2025. Since its first issue, the Health Information and Libraries Journal has published over 1400 manuscripts, from reviews and original articles to editorials, brief communications, regular features, and obituaries of key members of the health library sector with links to the journal. The contributions of its four Editor-in-Chiefs are celebrated: Shane Godbolt (1984-1994), Judy Palmer (1999-2002), Graham Walton (2003-2008), and Maria J. Grant (2009-2025).

Background: Despite numerous quantitative findings on online health information seeking, little is known about the process of online health information seeking itself.

Objectives: The study aimed to learn about how adults search for health information online, whether Macias et al.'s Online Health Searcher Typology applies to a broader, non-university sample, and to better identify and understand online health searchers by employing the Patient Health Engagement (PHE) model.

Methods: This study examined the role of engagement in online health information search processes using think-aloud qualitative interviews with 11 participants in their 30s to 70s. The research applied both thematic analysis and a quantitative coding scheme based on the PHE model to analyse the qualitative data that consists of 500 pages of think-aloud verbatim transcripts.

Results: This study found that four (flounderer, skimmer, digester and devourer) out of five types emerged as distinct search styles. Insights into engagement helped distinguish online health searcher types in this sample.

Conclusion: The dynamics of the engagement dimension indicate that the online health information search process is multi-dimensional. It is comprised of different levels of cognitive, emotional, and conative responses, further extending the PHE model. Health science librarians and health professionals have a unique opportunity to help individuals better navigate online health search.

Background: Libraries provide public access to information that may be used to inform healthcare decisions. Exploring the health information needs of library-users could improve community health outcomes, especially during times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the health information needs of library-users to explore the potential role of libraries in advancing community health.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey was employed.

Results: One hundred and fifty participants in the (Memphis) Tennessee metropolitan area, ranging from 18 to 84 years of age, completed the survey between September 2020 and April 2021. Most respondents reported seeking physical and mental health-related information from libraries. In addition, nearly half of respondents reported delaying medical care due to risk of exposure to COVID-19, cost or appointment issues.

Discussion: Study results indicated that there were urgent health information needs among library-users in this community, that COVID-19 further limited or delayed access to information, and that library-users accessed health information during library visits.

Conclusion: Public libraries have the potential to serve as information hubs to improve community health outcomes. Additional research should be conducted to collect qualitative community health information needs and the ways in which public library systems can address them.

Background: The Library and Knowledge Services at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has been at its current location since 1975 and, in September 2020, it was deemed necessary to examine the library environment and assess the signage.

Objectives: The main objective was to conduct a methodical assessment of all the current library signage in order to improve the library environment, wayfinding, and clarity.

Methods: A methodical signage audit was conducted by library staff, photographing signs, assigning them to categories, and creating a signage map.

Results: In total, 58 different signs were counted in the library. Of these, 22 signs were deemed satisfactory, 4 should be moved to a more appropriate location, 15 should be updated with a branded design and better messaging, and 17 were recommended for removal.

Discussion: The results demonstrated that there were three main areas where signage could be improved: reducing the quantity of signs, updating the language and design, and the use of ad hoc signage.

Conclusion: By assessing the signs and assigning categories and types, areas were identified as problem points that were impacting the library user's experience and small changes were implemented to improve the library environment.

Background: The development of a Centre for Care Excellence at a large Midlands National Health Service teaching hospital enabled the opportunity to introduce Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) groups through collaborative working with library specialists and health professionals.

Objectives: To provide interactive training for health professionals to improve their critical appraisal skills and to translate research findings into practice.

Methods: Clinical Evidence Based Information Services library experts and a clinical academic facilitator ran interactive CAT groups via webinars. Clinical staff were recruited via poster advertising with quick-response (QR) code registration. Groups were facilitated for 8 months.

Results: Between January 2019 and August 2023, six CAT groups were established. Four groups completed critical appraisal, progressing to translate the research findings to inform clinical practice. Progression paused in two groups, with outcomes reporting to follow.

Discussion: CATs can galvanise health professionals' database searching, evidence retrieval, and critical appraisal; particularly those less familiar with these processes. Group members must commit to deliverables, especially with challenging workforce shortfalls where CAT groups could be designated as optional activities.

Conclusions: Outcomes depend on the adequacy of critical appraisal skills and the involvement of skilled facilitators. Long-term, a strategy to cultivate new facilitators through training may ensure scale-up for new groups.

Health promotion libraries provide borrowable resources to support a wide range of health topics; resources are designed to be accessible and improve the impact of key health messages. Reminiscence resources aim to facilitate engagement and socialisation for people who find accessing long-term memory challenging. This article provides an overview of the reminiscence service provided by the Library Service at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust. It will consider the rationale for providing this service, how resources are selected in collaboration with customers and how they are promoted through various approaches to library training. The library offers training to healthcare professionals and other customers caring for people with dementia; training demonstrates different ways in which reminiscence resources can be used. An impact case study completed by a customer following the use of a bespoke reminiscence memory box indicates that caregivers find the resources helpful in supporting people with dementia. This is particularly beneficial when carers have received training from librarians in using the resources. Tailored resources can be especially effective, as compared to generic or off-the-shelf items. Customer collaboration with librarians to inform and support collection development should be encouraged to ensure that resources reflect the needs of users.

Background: Open-access scientific research is an essential source of health-related information and self-education. Artificial intelligence-based large language models (LMMs) may be used to identify erroneous health information.

Objective: To investigate to what extent LMMs can be used to identify pseudo-information.

Methods: Four common LMM applications (ChatGPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini and Copilot) were used to investigate their capability to indicate erroneous information provided in an open-access article.

Results: Initially, ChatGPT-4o and Claude were able to mark the provided article as an unreliable information source, identifying most of the inaccuracy problems. The assessments provided by Gemini and Copilot were inaccurate, as several critical aspects were not identified or were misinterpreted. During the validation phase, the initially accurate assessment of ChatGPT-4o was not reproducible, and only Claude was able to detect several critical issues in this phase. The verdicts of Copilot and Gemini remained largely unaltered.

Discussion: Large heterogeneity exists between LMMs in identifying inaccurate pseudo-information. Replication in LMM output may constitute a significant hurdle in their application.

Conclusion: The accuracy of LMMs needs to be further improved until they can be reliably used by patients for health-related online information and as assistant tools for health information and library services workers without restriction.

Technological advancements and emergence of 5G technology have significantly improved health library services. Although Wi-Fi offers many benefits in establishing smart libraries, the enhanced connectivity among a large number of devices reduces latency between input and output, and robust security demonstrates the enhanced potential for 5G technology in health libraries. In this paper, we highlight five dimensions to support health libraries in the development and evaluation of 5G technologies in facilitating remote health library and information services. The five dimensions are: technological infrastructure, technology integration into health libraries, remote health information services, user readiness, and external support.

Background: Social media platforms and user-generated videos have become important channels and resources for health consumers seeking information and learning about asthma management.

Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of asthma-related videos on YouTube, health consumers' emotional responses to these videos and explored the video attributes influencing their emotional responses and attitudes toward asthma-related content.

Methods: The study employed manual subject analysis, sentiment analysis, descriptive statistical analysis and regression modelling.

Results: The most popular content categories were Treatment, Prevention and Cause & Pathophysiology. Consumer interactions confirmed interest in Treatment. The time since posting, the number of tags, the subject of content and the general tone (positive/neutral/negative) of a video influenced whether it elicited positive or negative emotions.

Discussion: The consumer interactions might indicate interest in a content category, but the analysis might show negative attitudes to that content. 'Sign & Symptom' content can reduce the positive emotional responses, and 'Cause & Pathophysiology' content can raise the negative emotional responses, thus reducing the consumers' expression of positive attitudes in different ways.

Conclusion: The content priorities of video creators and health consumers differed, and keeping the emotional tone positive appears important for fostering positive emotional responses and attitudes.

Managing and applying evidence from research and learning from experience to better effect are part of the solution to the challenges faced by healthcare systems. Health library and information professionals often struggle to convey what is meant by 'knowledge mobilisation'. This editorial examines definitions of 'knowledge' and 'knowledge mobilisation' in the context of information overload. Drawing on prior experience and existing Knowledge Management models and related frameworks, it offers a synthesis of these to identify key dimensions of knowledge mobilisation in the practice of information professionals, and examines the information functions required to mobilise knowledge. Aiming to support more effective communication, 'knowledge mobilisation' is expressed using three approaches: a mnemonic, a diagram and a table. The ambition is to stimulate dialogue and build consensus, potentially by conducting a modified e-Delphi study, in order to assist health librarians and knowledge managers to better position themselves to engage in knowledge mobilisation.