Access to Health Information in China Hao Jiying Zhan Youxiang Medical Library of the Chinese PLA, Beijing, China WSIS Pre-conference, Dec 10-11, 2005

Two parts: 1. Recent Progress 2. Work needs to be done

1 Recent Progress  Sustentative programs funded by Government have greatly improved the development of health information resources in China.  Interlibrary collaborations among health sciences libraries have promoted the whole level of access to health information.  The applications of information and communication technologies have improved the level of information management of health sciences libraries  Organized health information resources in Chinese have basically met the need of health professionals and the public

(1) Sustentative programs funded by Government have greatly improved the development of health information resources in China.

Sustentative programs funded by Government(1)  NSTL (National Science and Technology Library) a national virtual scientific information service institute established by the support of China government In 2000, Library of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) became the Medical Center Library of NSTL taking charge with collecting, organizing and developing the key health information resource

Sustentative programs funded by Government(2)  CALIS ( China Academic Library & Information System ) an information development system in National Education System funded by Education Department of China government In 2001, Peking University Health Science Library (PUHSL), as National Medical Information Center of CALIS

Sustentative programs funded by Government(3) Library of CAMS : print foreign medical journals, Chinese Medial journals and some databases. the total fund of 37 health libraries had increased from 4,84,000US$ in 2000 to 11,980,000US$ In 2003, the investigation of 46 health libraries by CALIS: 80.4% subscribed Chinese medical journals and 47.8% subscribed foreign medical journals, 48.89% medical libraries subscribed 10 + databases.

Sustentative programs funded by Government(4) The successes of NSTL and CALIS have proved that the sustainable financial supports from government are the most effective way to ease the shortage of fund of health libraries and information institute and ensure the health professionals and the public easy and quick access to health information, especially foreign medical literature. And also the effect that NSTL and CALIS bring to the development of scientific & technological information resources and the academic libraries in China is far-reaching.

(2) Interlibrary collaborations among health sciences libraries have promoted the whole level of access to health information.

Health libraries in China Health libraries of health institution system Health libraries of Educational system Health libraries of army system Health libraries of Hospital system Interlibrary collaborations among health sciences libraries (1)

Interlibrary collaborations among health sciences libraries (2) In 1985, China Association of Medical University Libraries In 1990, Project of National Network of Medical Literature Resource Sharing, Union Catalogue Database of Foreign Biomedical Journals in China Union Catalogue of Foreign Biomedical Journals in Medical University in China

Interlibrary collaborations among health sciences libraries (3) In 1992, the Coordinating Group of Medical Journal Resource Sharing In 1995, China Medical Information Network (CMINET) In 2000, NSTL and CALIS In 2004, the three largest health libraries in China (PUHSL, the Library of CAMS and MLPLA) agreed on the coordination among them, and began to provide original article transfer in the CALIS Interlibrary Loan System.

Interlibrary collaborations among health sciences libraries (4) Health libraries Health libraries of health institution system Health libraries of Educational system Health libraries of army system Health libraries of Hospital system NSTL CALIS Hospital library Committee of China Library Association Medical Library Coordination Network in the Army

(3) The applications of information and communication technologies have improved the level of information management of health sciences libraries.

Applications of information and communication technologies(1) extensive application of library automotive management system development of databases

Applications of information and communication technologies(2) investigation of 38 health sciences libraries’ network conditions: 82.3% set up the library local networks bandwidth of 63.2% are more than 100MB 82.3% established their library websites 80% provide digital reference services

(4) Organized health information resources in Chinese have basically met the need of health professionals and the public.

Organization of health information resources in Chinese (1) Academic health information: 60 + index and abstract databases of Chinese biomedical literature have been developed Chinese Biomedical Disc Database Chinese Medical Current Contents Chinese Medical Citation Index Hospital Knowledge Library

Organization of health information resources in Chinese (2) consumer health information: Database of the Guide of Medications Information Database of the Health information Knowledge The idea of Health Information Service System for health promotion

Organization of health information resources in Chinese (3) Internet subject websites and special subject databases SARS Subject Website Family Planning and Prepotency Database Medical Methodology Database Gene Therapy Database

Local health or public libraries Different health information resources share networks Internet NSTL Medical Center Library MLPLA CALIS Medical Center Library

2 Work needs to be done.  Financial support of health libraries is to be further improved.  Joint development of health information resource and their sharing is to be further improved.  The network condition of accessing to health information is to be further improved.  Polices and related laws and regulations for the development and utilization of health information are to be further perfected  Much work on the valuable health information is to be done.

(1) Financial support of health libraries is further to be improved global price rise in newsprint fluctuating exchange rates the annual budget of most of health sciences libraries is only US$, some small libraries’ budget is only 1500 US$.

(2) Joint development of health information resource and their sharing is to be further improved irrational allocation of medical information resource lack of balanced and restrictive systems for the mutual benefits in member libraries. low efficient interlibrary loan system

(3) The network condition of accessing to health information is to be further improved. The condition of access to Internet is not satisfied in China due to high cost of Internet services and broad band facility. statistical report issued by China Internet Network Information Center in January 2005: the population of China is about 1,300,000,000 and the number of Internet users is 94,000,000, whose percentage is only 7.2% unbalanced disparity in the different areas: the percentage of Internet users in Beijing’s total population is 27.6%, in Shanghai is 25.8%. Comparatively, the percentage in Qinghai Province, Inner Mongolia, Henan Province is only 4% information gap between rural areas and urban areas in the same region

(4) Polices and related laws and regulations for the development and utilization of health information are to be further perfected In 2001, the enaction of Library law was initiated in China but until now still not completed. The criteria of different type of health sciences libraries, should be set up by agencies of government to ensure the sustainable development of health sciences libraries.

(5) Much work on the valuable health information is to be done. 13.4% Internet users in China think that medical treatment information hasn’t meet their need the level of organization of health information is also required to be improved government-sponsored consumer health information websites in Chinese should be established.

“Health Information for All” is prerequisite for achieving “Health for all”. With the improvement of life quality, access to essential health information has become an important issue that more and more people are concerned about. In recent years, with the development of health libraries, the condition of accessing to health information in China is much better than before. And I also think the future will be much better than now.

Hao Jiying Zhan Youxiang