Senior Access to Health Information

Presented by Tim Roberts Medical Librarian & Linda Roberts LCSWProgram Coordinator, Greenberg Academy for Successful Aging Hospital for Special Surgery

Provided with the support of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Middle Atlantic Region

NNLM/MAR Award $10,000 Outreach to Consumers Goals

Connect consumers to health information resources they need to make informed health care decisions

Increase awareness about the resources and services of the National Library of Medicine (NLM)

Promote health information literacy in health education and health care

Improve access to electronic health information Promote and improve access to library and information services Promote and improve the use of technology for information

access Encourage partnerships between public, hospital and school

libraries, community, faith-based, and volunteer organizations, health clinics, public health departments and other public venues.

Target Population In 2006, the Hospital for Special Surgery's Public and Patient

Education Department (PPED) administered it’s own needs assessment using a contact database of past program attendees. Over 750 seniors responded. Only 14% were comfortable learning on the web although, 60%

stated they had access to the internet.

We intended to target this population by adding topic specific resources from the NLM, NIH and other reliable online health information resources to the exiting class presentations for the Greenberg Academy for Successful Aging (GASA) curriculum.

We also intended to create an 8 week internet training class specifically targeted to this group that would be provided in their own Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC)

Goal

To promote reliable health information resources on the internet and connect them to health issues of concern to seniors.

Objectives: Integrate health information resources from National Library of

Medicine (NLM) into the existing GASA community outreach and health education curriculum.

Implement a series of computer training programs, age and information appropriate, for seniors that address computer literacy and accessing health information from NLM, the National Institutes for Health (NIH) and other credible health information sources.

Greenberg Academy for Successful Aging

Collaborative program between HSS Public & Patient Education Department & New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Irving Sherwood Wright Center for the Aging

Topics of interest to people 65 and over. Medicare Rights, Falls Prevention for the Cold Weather, Better Balance for Older

Adults, Patient Doctor Communication 

Discussion of web resources for more information was added to the end of each GASA program

3 one time, hands on Health Information on the Internet classes in the Spring and Fall of 2009.

How was this group affected by the project?

We were able to reach 593 seniors.

Some data from program evaluation form

8 Week Internet Training Class

Partnered with Carver Senior Cente/ Casita Maria in East Harlem

Classes held on site using their facilities

Training Sessions Objectives 1. Learn basic computer and Internet terms.2. Be comfortable using the mouse and navigate the computer

operating system3. Learn how to use a site map to navigate a web page4. Become familiar with MEDLINEPLUS, NIH Senior Health and other

reliable consumer health information resources.5. Learn to critically evaluate health information websites6. Be comfortable communicating electronically with the GASA

Program and with others via email7. Feel confident turning to the Internet for Health Information8. Empower themselves to be active information seekers and

advocates9. Decrease isolation from peers and from the community

Participants

15 consistent participants Class sizes ranged from 3-20 For most Spanish primary language,3

participants only spoke Spanish. One Mandarin speaker, with limited

English

Keys to success

The training program was successful primarily due to 3 factors: location and local resourcesclass structurestudent to teacher ratio

Location and local resources Carver Senior Center/ Casita Maria stood out as a the best partner

agency because they had a volunteer who dedicated 3 days a week to running the computer center and assisting clients.

The volunteer, Tony Morales, had previously worked in Information Technology support and was very comfortable in training and assisting clients in basic computer skills and internet navigation.

Computers were all donated of varying makes, models vintages.

We assumed class participants would not have personal computers in their homes, so we were training on the same machines they would be using.

No Air conditioning. Did I mention it was July & August?

Class structureClass 1: Computer & Internet Basics /Healthy computer use,

ergonomics, posture (developed by a physical therapist at HSS)Class 2: Using e-mail, and Social Networking / Health News SitesClass 3: Asking a a question on Health Information / Introduction to

MedlinePlus & MedlinePlus en EspañolClass 4: MedlinePlus & MedlinePlus en EspañolClass 5: MedlinePlus: Drugs and Supplements, Medical Encyclopedia Class 6: Healthy Web Surfing& NOAH: New York Online Access to

Health/ Acceso Computarizado a la Salud de Nueva YorkClass 7: MedlinePlus Choosing a Doctor / Selección del medico &

New York State Physician Profile Class 8: New York State Hospital Profile, Nursing Home Profile, etc. &

Prescription Drug Prices in New York

We based many classes on the NIH Senior Health toolkit: (http://nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit/toolkit.html).

Class structure Slides were translated into Spanish. Tony and other class

participants translated key parts of the lecture.

Homework assignments could be completed in the Center’s computer lab, and reviewed at the beginning of the next class.

Participants received a binder that contained the printed form of the lesson along with homework.

We had a few weeks of internet outage, so key points from earlier classes were reviewed in later classes.

Choosing a DoctorElegir un médico

Look for a doctor who:Busque un médico que:

Is certified to give quality care.

Has the training and background that meet your needs.

Takes steps to prevent illness—for example, talks to you about quitting smoking.

Está certificado para dar atención de calidad.

Tiene el entrenamiento y el fondo que encuentran sus necesidades.

Tomas medidas para prevenir la enfermedad- por ejemplo, le dirije sobre dejar de fumar.

Look for a doctor who:Busque un médico que: Has privileges at the

hospital of your choice.

Is part of your health plan.

Encourages you to ask questions.

Listens to you.

Explains things clearly.

Treats you with respect.

Tiene privilegios en el hospital de su opción.

Es parte de su plan de seguro

Le anima a hacer preguntas.

Le escucha.

Explican las cosas claramente.

Convites usted con respeto.

Si necesita ayuda en español, llame al 1-888-338-6999, de lunes a viernes

de 8:30 a.m. a 4:45 p.m. La llamada es gratis.

Information Available on All DoctorsLa información disponible por todos los médicos

Information about the doctor's medical education

Information about translation services at the doctor's office

Information about legal actions taken against the doctor

Información de la educación médica del doctor

Información sobre servicios de traducción en el consultorio del médico

Información sobre las acciones legales emprendidas contra el médico

Optional Information Información Opcional The practice name, address and

phone number

The names of other doctors in a practice group

A list of the articles or research papers the doctor has published

A list of professional and community service activities or awards

A list of the health plans the doctor works with

A personal statement about any information in the doctor's profile

El nombre de la práctica, dirección y número de teléfono

Los nombres de otros médicos en un grupo de práctica

Una lista de los artículos o trabajos de investigación que el médico ha publicado

Una lista de actividades profesionales y de servicio a la comunidad o los laudos

Una lista de los planes de salud conquien el médico trabaja

Una declaración personal acerca de cualquier información en el perfil del médico

Student to Teacher Ratio

One facilitator for every 4 or 5 students Linda, Tony, Center Volunteers, Class

participant all became facilitators Very Important that each student was

successful

Challenges Internet down time.

The center’s ISP was initially unresponsive. Our social worker intervened with appropriate companies and state agencies for

assistance. Attendance decrease

Re-launch after Internet issue resolved Incentive of the free Metrocard for transportation. Scheduled classes around center‘s activity calendar The next 6 weeks had a minimum of 18 students each.

Language “The librarian instructor, although not a Spanish speaker, found

that his attempts at teaching in both English and Spanish were not only welcomed by the participants, strongly encouraged and sometimes gently corrected.”

One of the students spoke Mandarin, with limited English; & required one on one instruction.

MEDLINEPlus has very limited coverage in languages other than English and Spanish.

Some Data

0

1020

30

40

5060

Not At All A Little Moderate Very Much

How comfortable do you feel with the Internet in comparison with your friends and neighbors?

Pre-Test

Post-Test

How much do you feel you learned about

computers from this class?

Do you feel confident turning to the internet for Health Information?

Conclusions Bringing the Classroom to the seniors is very worthwhile. The graduates of our 8 course training programs will

become advocates to their peers for the NLM and NIH health information resources, and the ability of seniors to learn computer skills.

Skills to research their physicians, their hospitals, medications and their illnesses – very impactful.

The students all went to lunch after each lesson and we hope that their connection in the classroom carried over to both lunch and future meetings in the senior center.