1. Quick Start Guide to Providing Excellent Health Reference
Ann Glusker, MLIS The Seattle Public Library
Laura Haines, MLS University of Vermont

2. Using the Quick Start Guide to Providing Excellent Health and Medical Reference Service
This guide has been created using RUSA’s Health and Medical Reference Guidelines and content from a presentation titled Say Ahhh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches, by Gail Kouame (Public Health Outreach Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Region of the NN/LM).
It is intended to be a short presentation focusing on roles and behavior of library staff during a reference interaction involving a health-related topic.
It does not include information about health resources, but it is expected that such information would be included in any basic training for library staff on health reference.
Caveat: this PowerPoint is the content of the class (minus the above-mentioned health resources); an instructor might wish to modify the slides to be less text-heavy.

3. Issues for patrons coming in for health information
Very little library or research skills
Expecting to find information that addresses their own unique problems
Possess misinformation or inadequate information
Difficulty interpreting conflicting information
Few skills in evaluating the quality of information
Experiencing and exhibiting intense emotion
Inability to present the problem clearly
Unreasonable expectations regarding the information that can be provided
Confusion about the library’s role
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

4. Issues for library staff in providing health information?
Not always familiar with resources that would best answer the question
Language/vocabulary in medical texts might be too difficult to read/understand
Time-consuming
Afraid of giving the wrong answer or medical advice
Has a hard time estimating level of patron understanding; can’t assume levels of health literacy even if the person “seems sophisticated”
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

5. Professional’s role: Clarify Health Information Needs
Consumers need a place to go that is:
Non-threatening (Guidelines 2.5; 3.2.2; 3.2.5)
Accessible: Has information in a format they can understand (a health literacy issue) (Guidelines 2.8)
People need to tell their story (Guidelines 2.4)
They need to process their experiences
Trying to make sense of the situation
They may need to tell their story more than once
Remember, they are not themselves: distracted, overwhelmed, stressed
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

6. Professional’s role: Clarify Health Information Needs
Helping people through the process
Give them your time and attention
Eye contact is very important
Listen attentively
Provide privacy: ask if they would like to move to a more private location
Practice compassionate neutrality
Be aware of your body language and tone of voice
Guidelines 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.9, 3.2.2, 3.2.5
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

7. Professional’s role: Clarify Health Information Needs
Researching is a means of feeling in control
Once they’ve told the story, ask:
How can I help while you’re in the library?
What do you need from the library today?
What is it you most want to find out about today?
Types of questions to ask:
Who is the information for?
What is the exact diagnosis/disease/condition?
Where have you looked already?
Why do you need this information? For someone else? A decision?
How much information would you like?
Has the procedure been done already?
Is this what you are looking for?
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

8. Professional’s role: Clarify Health Information Needs
Identify appropriate and quality resources
Provide a range of materials
Limit the number of resources
Use “living room language”
Explain why a resource is best suited to answer their question
Remind patrons of your role: to provide complete and accurate information, but not to interpret information or make recommendations
Guidelines 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.7, 2.8
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

9. The Reference Interview
Provide a safe, private place for your reference interviews (3.2.1)
Use terms like “You must be worried,” or “This must be difficult”
Do not judge, give an opinion, or tell the person “It’s probably nothing”; validate feelings by focus on the information (3.2.5)
Do not speak from personal experience or knowledge
Do not pretend to have medical knowledge or guess at the condition
Do not give medical advice or recommend specific health care providers (1.2)
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

10. 3 Little Words I DON’T KNOW Or, I can’t get that information for you
Don’t be afraid to refer the person back to his/her health care provider
Adapted from: Say Ahh! Discovering Quality Health Information Resources and Approaches by Gail Kouame

11. For further training…
Insert information about specific health or medical resources. For more information about resources, RSS Health and Medical Reference Committee has listed resources on their web site:
Refer to the accompanying scenario-based learning activities in the Quick Start Training Activities document.

12. Resources
RSS: Health and Medical Reference Committee:
Health and Medical Reference Guidelines:
National Network of Libraries of Medicine:
MedlinePlus: