No Harm on the Farm Ellen Schellhause, MSLS University of Illinois –Chicago College of Medicine - Rockford

The Crawford Library collaborates with Rural Healthcare programs to teach specific traditional and non-traditional information seeking skills to future rural healthcare providers who might not have access to a hospital or staffed health sciences library when they practice in a rural or farming community.

SETTING: Academic health sciences library serving a school of medicine, college of nursing, college of public health. The National Center for Rural Healthcare Professions on campus provides rural healthcare programs. POPULATION: Approximately 40 students from these colleges specializing in rural healthcare.

The Farm The tour was a family owned 700 cow dairy operation in Northern Illinois which employs 20 people 8 faculty, including librarian, were part of the teaching experience

The Tour An agricultural setting is visited each year to provide students with a feel for what happens on a farm During the tour, farm accidents, illnesses, and statistics are discussed Mock accident is staged so students understand how community healthcare providers respond and what happens to patients before they arrive at a healthcare facility

Types of farm injuries and illnesses Workers kicked or stomped during birthing or milking Cuts or broken bones Diabetes Heart Disease Stress Depression

Types of Accidents Drowning in manure ponds Death in methane pits Tractor and equipment accidents

The Library role Being seen as active faculty in the M2 year tour gives visibility to the library. Students see librarians as interested and approachable Allows librarians to work with students throughout the three year program and develop relevant instruction on PUBMED training, Google Searching, and web-based programs available to obtain information for their practice in a rural community

Library Role Librarians teach students to access UIC Library materials when on Rural M4 Research project, also with Institutional Review Board (IRB) Patient Education Language component Collection Development – knowledge of Rural students educational needs assists in acquiring appropriate journals, monographs, and databases

Barriers for Rural Healthcare providers Limited or no access to staffed hospital libraries Limited access to electronic journal collections Lack of knowledge about free internet based sources

The future Continued integration into Rural Healthcare Education benefits the Library, the students and ultimately their rural practices

References Steiner, V, Hartmann J, Ronau T. MedReach: building an Area Health Education Center medical information outreach system for northwest Ohio. J Med Libr Assoc Jul;90(3): Dorsch JL. Information needs of rural health professionals: a review of the literature. Bull Med Libr Assoc Oct;88(4): Sargeant JM. Medical education for rural areas: opportunities and challenges for information and communications technologies. J Postgrad Med Oct-Dec;51(4):301-7.