Partnering to encourage health information seeking by patients in an urban clinic

Health literacy and health information literacy have been identified as essential to achieving a healthy society and an informed and empowered citizenry.1,2,3 Librarians, particularly health sciences librarians, have long embraced health information literacy whole-heartedly,4 but health literacy has also been adopted as a concern of clinical medicine and public health. Librarians frequently contribute their services and expertise to meet the information needs of individual health professionals, patients and consumers, but their work on health literacy could benefit from greater exposure and recognition across the health care spectrum. One route to this recognition is through collaborative work and partnerships in which the value of health information literacy and health information seeking are more clearly articulated and, ideally, linked to improved health outcomes. This paper will report on work informed by the theoretical framework put forth by Don Nutbeam, a public health researcher who views health information seeking as a fundamental component in achieving health literacy and ultimately, improved health outcomes.5 In this pilot project, a multidisciplinary team that included librarians worked together to develop and test the feasibility of a mobile phone application aimed at increasing health information seeking by expectant mothers. It will also distinguish between “ a partnership” and “a collaboration” and will suggest that effective work in health literacy may require roles for librarians that differ from those traditionally assumed in delivering health information services.