The Changing Information Needs of Public Health Kimberley Shoaf, DrPH Director

What is Public Health? Public Health is the science of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention. Public health professionals analyze the effect on health of genetics, personal choice and the environment in order to develop programs that protect the health of your community. Overall, public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country. Association of Schools of Public Health. (2011). What is Public Health? Retrieved from

What is Public Health? (Continued) What isn’t public health? The mission of public health is to “fulfill society’s interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy.” Three core functions Assessment Policy development Assurance Institute of Medicine, Committee for the Study of the Future of Public Health, Division of Health Care Services. (1988). The Future of Public Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

What is Public Health? (Overview) Population focus, not individual Interdisciplinary Assess health status of populations Develop policy Promote access to healthcare

Essential Public Health Services Developed by the Core Public Health Functions Steering Committee (1994) Included reps from national organizations and federal agencies Charge: To provide a description and definition of public health Developed the “Public Health in America” statement Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006). National Public Health Performance Standards Program: Orientation to the Essential Public Health Services. Retrieved from

Public Health in America Vision: Healthy people in healthy communities Mission: Promote physical and mental health and Prevent disease, injury, and disability Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006). National Public Health Performance Standards Program: Orientation to the Essential Public Health Services. Retrieved from

Essential Services of Public Health Monitor health status Diagnose and investigate Inform, educate, and empower Mobilize community partnerships Develop policies and plans Enforce laws and regulations Link people to needed services / assure care Assure a competent workforce Evaluate health services Research Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006). National Public Health Performance Standards Program: Orientation to the Essential Public Health Services. Retrieved from

Who does Public Health? Public health professionals work in: Governmental public health Local State Federal Community based organizations Community clinics Non-profits like the American Lung Association Industry Pharmaceutical industry

Who does Public Health? (Continued) The responsibility for the protection of the public’s health lies with the government > 400,000 public health workers 1/3 Local Government 1/3 State Government 1/5 Federal Government Academia, Industry, NGO

Estimated Public Health Workers by EEO-4 Occupational Category: National Summary Gebbie, K. (2000). The Public Health Work Force: Enumeration Retrieved from

Estimated Public Health Professionals by Selected Occupational Title: National Summary Gebbie, K. (2000). The Public Health Work Force: Enumeration Retrieved from

What Kinds of Information Does Public Health Need? Evidence-Based Medicine 1. Convert information needs into answerable questions 2. Track down, with maximum efficiency, the best evidence with which to answer these questions (from the clinical examination, the diagnostic laboratory, the published literature, or other sources) 3. Critically appraise that evidence performance for its validity (closeness to the truth) and usefulness (clinical applicability) 4. Apply the results of this appraisal in clinical practice 5. Evaluate performance

Adapting EBM to Evidence-Based Public Health Brownson, R.C., Gurney, J.G., & Land, G.H. (1999). Evidence-Based Decision Making in Public Health. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 5(5),

So… What is Known? Public health data Surveillance data (National, State, Local) Vital records data Socio-demographic data Intervention effectiveness Policy effectiveness Laws affecting public health Emerging disease facts

Information Needs 1. Better tools and resources for contacting experts 2. Timely updates on pertinent legislative issues and events 3. Structured information (metadata) characterizing the contents of data sets 4. Outcome measures and best practice resources 5. Better scheduling tools and calendar information 6. Standard templates for often-used applications 7. Knowledge-based information from external databases Rambo, N. (2005). Public Health: Population-Based Approaches to Improving Health – Information Needs, Resources, and Uses. Retrieved from

Summary of Public Health Information Needs Revere, D., Turner, A.M., Madhavan, A., Rambo, N., Bugni, P.F., Kimball, A., & Fuller, S.S. (2007). Understanding the Information Needs of Public Health Practitioners: A Literature Review to Inform Design of an Interactive Digital Knowledge Management System. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 40(4),

$$$$ The Million Dollar Question Where do we find this data? Barriers Access to the internet Access to journal subscriptions Knowledge about using search engines Ability/confidence to assess validity/reliability of information Knowledge of and access to gray literature

Findings/Information Needs Continuum Emerged

A Specific Example A health educator in a small local health department is asked to develop a program to combat childhood obesity in the community. What types of information might s/he need to get started on this task? Where might s/he find the information? What kind of help can a librarian provide? How can s/he connect with a librarian?

There are lots of needs and lots of resources, your job is to help be a matchmaker.

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