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Encouraging patients to use the hospital library
147
EDITORIAL ENCOURAGING
PATIENTS
TO USE THE HOSPITAL
LIBRARY
“Do you have pamphlets on irritable bowel syndrome?” “Can you give me information on a diet for diverticulitis?” “Where can I get talking books?” “Do you have a picture of the fifth cranial nerve?” “ What is a brain-stem stroke?” These are samples of actual questions received at the reference desk in a hospital library. Patients and the public are demanding medical information. Some have become wise enough to know that they can seek answers from hospital libraries. Hospital librarians have been struggling since the 1970s to build consumer and patient-education resources to meet the increasingly heavy demand. Many problems have been encountered along the way. Some administrators have not been ready to accept the concept of patient access to literature. Some physicians have been reluctant to allow patients access to medical libraries, fearing that, if patients read too much, they might change their minds about a procedure, sue for malpractice, or simply become unduly alarmed. Nurses and other health professionals, on the other hand, have generally been supportive of providing patient-education literature to support their growing patienteducation programs. Medical librarians’ efforts in the field of health education have been supported by the Patient’s Bill of Rights, affirmed in 1972 by the American Hospital Association. There are two statements in this document’ that justify providing information to patients: (1) “The patient has the right to obtain from his physician current information concerning his diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms the patient can be reasonably expected to understand. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to the patient, the information should be made available to an appropriate person in his behalf. ” and (2) “The patient has the right to receive from his physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment. ” The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals,2 moreover, has specifically encouraged nurses to become involved in patient education: ‘‘Patient education and patient/family knowledge of self care shall be given special consideration in the nursing plan. ” Finally, the American Hospital Association’s Policy and Statement: The Hospital’s Responsibility for Patient Education Services3 has mandated that hospitals should provide patient education services. However, it wasn’t until 1982 that the role of hospital libraries in providing patient education and information was finally recognized. The President’s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research4 presented the philosophy that medical libraries should be open to the public: “Patients should have access to the information they need to help them understand their conditions and make treatment decisions. To this end the Commission recommends that health care professionals and institutions not only provide information but also assist patients who request additional information to obtain it from relevant sources, including hospital and public libraries. ” The Medical Library Association has been struggling within its ranks to establish more emphasis on patient and consumer health resources and programs. At national conventions, courses on patient education and consumer health education are taught. The Hospital Library Section has a patient-education committee which has been gathering data on existing programs. An Ad Hoc Consumer Education Committee was set up from 1981 to 1983 and has made recommendations for the future. In June, 1984, a Consumer and Patient Health Information Section was established. The Hospital Libraries Standards and Practices Committee has set up recommended standards which include a recommendation
VOLUME G/NUMBER4
148 for reference sources in patient and community health education for hospitals with active medical/dental and ancillary staffs of over 150 persons (as well as other qualifications).” Medical librarians want patient and consumer health education resources. What they need from administrators and health professionals is support for programs, funding for materials, and an attitude of acceptance at all levels for the development of consumer and patient health-information collections. The editors encourage publication of articles by librarians to illustrate the expanded roles of medical librarians in providing patient information and education services. Many hospital libraries are now open to the public or patients on a walk-in basis or by appointment; library materials are taken to patients on carts; some librarians deliver material to patients at a doctor’s request; storefront health-education centers are emerging. Explore these new programs. Encourage your local medical institutions to build library collections that include materials for patients and community members. And, above all, find ways to make your patients aware that they can use hospital libraries! Katherine Lindner, M.L.S. PE&C Editorial Board
Director, Medical Library Englewood Hospital Englewood, New Jersey
REFERENCES 1. Statement on a patient’s bid1 of rights: Affirmed by the Board of Trustees, November 17, 1972. Hospitals 1973; 47(4):41. 2. AMH184. Accredirarion manual for hospirals. Chicago: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, 1983:114. 3. Policy and statement: The hospital’s responsibility for patient education services. (Fact sheet) Chicago: American Hospital Association, 1982.
4. President’s Commission for the Studv of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Making health care decisions. A report on the ethical and legal implican’ons of informed consent in the patient-pracridoner relationship. Vol 1. Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office,
1982:4. 5. Medical Library Association. Minimum srandards for health science libraries in hospirals. Chicago: Medical Library Association,
1984.
PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING
EDITORIAL ENCOURAGING
PATIENTS
TO USE THE HOSPITAL
LIBRARY
“Do you have pamphlets on irritable bowel syndrome?” “Can you give me information on a diet for diverticulitis?” “Where can I get talking books?” “Do you have a picture of the fifth cranial nerve?” “ What is a brain-stem stroke?” These are samples of actual questions received at the reference desk in a hospital library. Patients and the public are demanding medical information. Some have become wise enough to know that they can seek answers from hospital libraries. Hospital librarians have been struggling since the 1970s to build consumer and patient-education resources to meet the increasingly heavy demand. Many problems have been encountered along the way. Some administrators have not been ready to accept the concept of patient access to literature. Some physicians have been reluctant to allow patients access to medical libraries, fearing that, if patients read too much, they might change their minds about a procedure, sue for malpractice, or simply become unduly alarmed. Nurses and other health professionals, on the other hand, have generally been supportive of providing patient-education literature to support their growing patienteducation programs. Medical librarians’ efforts in the field of health education have been supported by the Patient’s Bill of Rights, affirmed in 1972 by the American Hospital Association. There are two statements in this document’ that justify providing information to patients: (1) “The patient has the right to obtain from his physician current information concerning his diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms the patient can be reasonably expected to understand. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to the patient, the information should be made available to an appropriate person in his behalf. ” and (2) “The patient has the right to receive from his physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment. ” The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals,2 moreover, has specifically encouraged nurses to become involved in patient education: ‘‘Patient education and patient/family knowledge of self care shall be given special consideration in the nursing plan. ” Finally, the American Hospital Association’s Policy and Statement: The Hospital’s Responsibility for Patient Education Services3 has mandated that hospitals should provide patient education services. However, it wasn’t until 1982 that the role of hospital libraries in providing patient education and information was finally recognized. The President’s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research4 presented the philosophy that medical libraries should be open to the public: “Patients should have access to the information they need to help them understand their conditions and make treatment decisions. To this end the Commission recommends that health care professionals and institutions not only provide information but also assist patients who request additional information to obtain it from relevant sources, including hospital and public libraries. ” The Medical Library Association has been struggling within its ranks to establish more emphasis on patient and consumer health resources and programs. At national conventions, courses on patient education and consumer health education are taught. The Hospital Library Section has a patient-education committee which has been gathering data on existing programs. An Ad Hoc Consumer Education Committee was set up from 1981 to 1983 and has made recommendations for the future. In June, 1984, a Consumer and Patient Health Information Section was established. The Hospital Libraries Standards and Practices Committee has set up recommended standards which include a recommendation
VOLUME G/NUMBER4
148 for reference sources in patient and community health education for hospitals with active medical/dental and ancillary staffs of over 150 persons (as well as other qualifications).” Medical librarians want patient and consumer health education resources. What they need from administrators and health professionals is support for programs, funding for materials, and an attitude of acceptance at all levels for the development of consumer and patient health-information collections. The editors encourage publication of articles by librarians to illustrate the expanded roles of medical librarians in providing patient information and education services. Many hospital libraries are now open to the public or patients on a walk-in basis or by appointment; library materials are taken to patients on carts; some librarians deliver material to patients at a doctor’s request; storefront health-education centers are emerging. Explore these new programs. Encourage your local medical institutions to build library collections that include materials for patients and community members. And, above all, find ways to make your patients aware that they can use hospital libraries! Katherine Lindner, M.L.S. PE&C Editorial Board
Director, Medical Library Englewood Hospital Englewood, New Jersey
REFERENCES 1. Statement on a patient’s bid1 of rights: Affirmed by the Board of Trustees, November 17, 1972. Hospitals 1973; 47(4):41. 2. AMH184. Accredirarion manual for hospirals. Chicago: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, 1983:114. 3. Policy and statement: The hospital’s responsibility for patient education services. (Fact sheet) Chicago: American Hospital Association, 1982.
4. President’s Commission for the Studv of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Making health care decisions. A report on the ethical and legal implican’ons of informed consent in the patient-pracridoner relationship. Vol 1. Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office,
1982:4. 5. Medical Library Association. Minimum srandards for health science libraries in hospirals. Chicago: Medical Library Association,
1984.
PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING