Supporting public health literacy through school libraries

Louise Goswami

@NHS_HealthEdEng @KFH_PPI

Demographics

Why do the public need health information?• There are powerful legal, moral, ethical and financial incentives

for providing quality information to enable people to better manage their health and wellbeing and make fully informed decisions about their treatment and care. (PiF Making the Case)

• Patients are being encouraged to self-manage, share decision-making and be partners in their own care

• Low literacy levels: 42% of working-age adults (aged 16-65) are unable to understand or make use of everyday health information

• NHS libraries are uniquely positioned to help throughout the patient journey

Health Education England

HEE’s purpose is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of England by developing a workforce with the right skills and values to always deliver outstanding healthcare:

– We deliver workforce reform– We support workforce transformation– We commission new staff– We develop existing workforce through reskilling

and upskilling

Knowledge for Healthcare

Full framework and a short briefing are available at:http://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/research-learning-innovation/library-knowledge-servicesKnowledge for Healthcare websitehttp://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/

An ambitious vision

There is often a large gap between evidence-based treatment guidelines and current practice (Nolte and McKee, 2008).

Partnerships are central

Health Education England is committed to :

• learning from and partnering with other organisations across different sectors

• to strengthening working relationships across the library community

HEE

CILIP

PHE

HEIs

SCLNIHR

NICE

The Reading Agency

NHS England

What health librarians do:

Working in health libraries is varied, stimulating and rewarding.

• Run complex literature searches and horizon scan to support patient care, research, and improvements in health services.

• Develop and deliver training to help health professionals assess and make the best use of evidence.

• Many roles are embedded with health and management teams

Guidance and ideas bank

• Specifically for all NHS Library and Knowledge Service staff

• Rationale for NHS libraries getting involved with the Patient and Public agenda

• Ideas for Library and Knowledge Services staff

• Links to further information, case studies, support and signposts to patient information

http://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/patient-and-public-information/

Information for the public, patients & carersEnsuring the public, patients and carers use high quality information to inform decision making and choice by:

– Agreeing a concordat between relevant health information providers to foster partnership working

– Advise NHS provider organisations of the relevant information standards

– Building the skills and confidence of the LKS workforce to support the healthcare workforce to signpost, evaluate and use health and wellbeing information

– Developing local networks of health information providers with a focus on sharing guidance, experience and resources

– Developing guidance and resources to support those healthcare LKS staff that directly provide services to patients and the public

http://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/patient-and-public-information/

Schools and health information

• Need for the next generation to understand their responsibility for their health and well being

• Children & Young people repeatedly feedback that no-one educates them about the NHS until they are unwell, yet when they are given information and education about health & health care they can & do make informed decisions about their health needs.

• School librarians ideally placed to contribute to this

NHS Choices for teenagers

• NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) is the official website of the National Health Service in England

• NHS Choices provides a health information service with thousands of articles, videos and tools, helping individuals to make the best choices about their health and lifestyle

• Information on the site is freely available to everyone

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/TeenGirls/Pages/teengirlshome.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/teenboys/Pages/teenboyshome.aspx

Change4Life

• Change4Life aims to help Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils understand the benefits of eating healthily and living a more active lifestyle

• Many ways for schools to promote healthy eating and physical activity:– Change4Life assemblies– Posters around the school and

in the reception area– Using library books and reading

materials

https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Documents/PDF/400558-020_C4L_Teacher_Booklet_Sept13_A4_DIGITAL_FINAL.pdf

Society of Chief Librarians

• 'Public Library Health Offer' articulates the role that libraries can play in promoting the health & wellbeing of local communities

• Public libraries are clear about their role in signposting the public to quality resources whilst not providing medical advice or guidance.

• Public library staff have customer service and enquiry skills to help the public find information but would value more specialised health training from NHS Librarians

• NHS librarians would value customer service skills used by public library staff

• Opportunities for joint working and sharing of expertise and resources

http://goscl.com/universal-offers/health-offer/

Reading Agency

Reading Well for young people is part of the hugely successful Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme and will provide 13-18 year-olds with high-quality information, support and advice on a wide-range of mental health issues

https://readingagency.org.uk/young-people/

Making Every Contact Count

Making Every Contact Count is an approach to behaviourchange that utilises the millions of day to day interactions that organisations and individuals have with other people to support them in making positive changes to their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

http://www.makingeverycontactcount.co.uk/training/healthy-lifestyle-information/

Patient Information Forum (PIF)

• PiF is the UK network for professionals working to produce and deliver health information for patients and the public

• Guide to producing health information for children & young people from PiF

• If you are involved in creating health information for children and young people, then this guide is for you

http://www.pifonline.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/PiF-Guide-Producing-Health-Information-Children-and-Young-People-2014.pdf

Healthy Schools Manchester

• Improve children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing and to reduce the incidence of bullying

• Promote and develop healthy behaviours in order to prevent and reduce the numbers of overweight and obese children and young people

• Promote safer choices and reduce the number of young people misusing alcohol and drugs

• Improve young people’s sexual health and reduce the incidence of sexual transmitted infections and number of teenage conceptions

http://www.manchesterhealthyschools.nhs.uk/default.aspx

Makewaves

• Social learning environment that provides social media for education

• Enables schools to create and safely share videos, podcasts and blogs

• NHS Digital badges a fun way to find out about the NHS and share your ideas about how it can be improved

https://www.makewav.es/nhs

What can NHS librarians offer?

• Training on health information for both staff and student

• Advice on quality standards for health information• Advice on health website appraisal• Links to other information professionals who provide

health information

Health Information Week3-9 July 2017Help available centrally

sarah.greening@wm.hee.nhs.uk

Why get involved?• Improving access to health information for the public• Improving partnership working• Improving health literacy• Getting to know your local fellow information providers• Sharing resources and knowledge

Questions?Louise Goswamilouise.goswami@nhs.net

Blog: http://kfh.libraryservices.nhs.uk/

@NHS_HealthEdEng @KfH_PPI