LIBRARIES – A PRESCRIPTION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH

A PRESCRIPTION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH LIBRARIES – Liz McGettigan Library and Information Services Manager East Renfrewshire Council OUTLINE Background Partnerships Current position Vision - developing the prescription • Training/ Health Literacy • Summary • • • • FACT PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE AND ACCESS T RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE O LEAD HEAL THIER, HIGHER-QUALITY LIVES. • • • Feeling vita l a nd full of energy Ha ving positive self esteem Ha ving a sense of purpose in life • Ha ving good socia l rela tionships • Feeling connected to the community • Ha ving the a bility to enjoy things Fa st fa cts BACKGROUND • 4 Hea lth Informa tion points • 32 forma l book prescriptions per month • 55% used libra ry informa tion services la st yea r • 45% of Scots used their libra ries in the la st month and a further 15.3% in the la st 6 months • 30,000,000 books were lent from 545 community libra ries a nd 82 mobiles • A ma rket in wa iting! Pa rtners PARTNERSHIPS • • • • • • • • • Community Hea lth Ca re Pa rtnership Hea lth Connect Community Pla nning a nd Development Tea m Loca l Hea lth Centres Sa ndyford Hub Ea st Renfrewshire Informa tion Advice Forum NHS – E-Libra ry Public Educa tion Resource Libra ry Hea lth Improvement Tea m Hea lthy Rea ding HEALTHY READING The Hea lthy Rea ding project is key to our work . We sta rted off with Ea stwood Bridges, which is a n NHS prima ry menta l hea lth ca re tea m. This tea m consists of counsellors, a bibliothera pist, a n a ssista nt psychologist, a n a dministra tive a ssista nt, a nd a tea m lea der. The tea m provides services to people who a re experiencing mild to modera te menta l hea lth problems such a s group work a nd counselling for stress, a nxiety or low mood. This wa s the ca ta lyst in developing our Hea lth points a nd Informa tion pla n for the new hea lth centre project 4 Hea lth Informa tion Points OUR HEALTH POINTS A Hea lth Informa tion Point ha s • • • • A growing ra nge of hea lth rela ted books, DVDs a nd CDS a wide ra nge of excellent a nd up-to-da te lea flets on a ll a spects of hea lth a pc dedica ted to our hea lth informa tion porta l a nd hea lth websites A Hea lth informa tion professiona l a va ila ble to cha t rega rding a ny hea lth enquiry a nd a ssist in finding a nswers to questions. • • • • • • • • Sessions on hea lth & well-being to local groups - e.g. substa nce misuse/ ba by ma ssa ge One-to-one a dvice for individua ls. Access to the hea lthy rea ding a nd other hea lth media collections Hea lth Open Da ys – Hea lthy food ta sting/ thera pists Access to NHS e-libra ry/ lea flets/ downloa ds/ fa ct sheets. Access to other support groups a nd thera pists Access to our Sca les Hea lth Point in a ction GETTING INTO HEALTH HEALTH POINT IN ACTION Health Point in action MY HEALTH POINT Hea lth Point open da ys eva lua tions EVALUATION & IMPACT “ Cha nce to try dry fruit I would not ha ve bought” “ First time I ha ve had a manicure” “ I never ha d reflexology before” “ Never new tha t a va rucca ha s roots -Lea rnt how to trea t Va rucca ” “ Wonderful compa ny a nd the va riety of delicious food “ “ Ta lking with others a bout hea lthy food” “ It would be nice if the children could a ttend to see hea lthy ea ting” “ Ta lking with Live Active Exercise Consulta nt (Hea lth & Fitness)” “ Rea ding hea lthy books, Hea lthy recipes “ Developing the prescription DEVELOPING OUR PRESCRIPTION Hea lthy rea ding – pa rtnerships, promotion , ma rketing, impa ct Development of Hea lth Informa tion Points, growing reputa tion solid pa rtnerships Infra structure for the new Hea lth Centre Project 1. 2. 3. my hea lth The vision is simple! THE INFRASTRUCTURE • • • • • • • Alterna tive pa tient informa tion pa thwa ys How we ma na ge the signposting a nd a ppointments Appointments with sports instructors Prescriptions for swimming a nd wa lking club memberships Prescriptions for weight reduction/ diet Prescriptions for lifestyle support Prescriptions for confidence • Arts - Persona l development, hea lth,confidence, Socia l skills my hea lth - the pra ctitioners’ key pa rtner in linking pa tients with informa tion, resources Pa rtners a nd a ppointments East Renfrewshire Information and Advice forum Ea st Renfrewshire Informa tion a d Advice forum set up in 1998 to coordina te a dvice and informa tion for our residents (65 orga nisa tions) • Victim support • Debt a dvice • Menta l Hea lth • ERCVS -Volunteering • Clubs and Societies • Coping with loss Infra structure THE TOOLS • E- Libra ry • Informa tion a ppointments/ consulta tio ns on Medicines, Drugs • NHS Informa tion on Symptoms • Dia gnostic pa cks • Fa ct sheets • Appointments with loca l support groups • Litera ture • Books./ DVDS/ CDs • Signposting to na tiona l support orga nisa tions • my hea lth porta l ..a bout crea ting hea lth hubs THE PRODUCT  my hea lth       Book thera py Membership of virtua l hea lth community - RSS feeds on hea lth a nd well being Hea lth Litera cy Module online course/ a nd support Ma cmilla n Nurses in libra ries Drop-In hea lth a nd well-being a dvice Hea lthy food ta sting sessions hea lth  screenings Rea ding groups Arts -Clubs & Societies thera pies, substa nce misuse my hea lth  Alterna tive THE LIBRARY IN THE HEALTH CURRENT POSITION CENTRE Doctors su Doctors sur Pa tient pa thwa ys - Physica l loca tion a nd presenta tion AMBIENCE • • • • • • • • Self Help/ Doc referra l Informa tion Point -within hea lth centre Open a ccess but a lso ha s a confidentia l room Pla sma s - Hea lth info a nd messa ges, ca mpa igns Displa y/ open da y / hea lthy food spa ce Children’s books etc/ pla yma ts Libra ry is the wa iting room Internet Ca fé - Ca sua l Internet a ccess - Accredited Hea lth sites only Ca fé – hea lthy food a nd drinks only Ca se study Genera l HOW WILL IT WORK? Custom er c a lls hea lth c entre a nd c a n’ t g et a n a p p ointm ent for a w eek. Rec ep tionist is tra ined to red irec t or offer the d rop in inform a tion/ sup p ort/ a d d itiona l servic e. e.g . “ In the m ea ntim e you m a y w ish to visit our inform a tion c entre w here you c a n sp ea k to the Hea lth Inform a tion Offic er for m ore inform a tion, info a b out your p resc rip tion a nd or a lterna tive thera p ies a nd sup p ort g roup s” Ca se study – Dr.Findla y CASE STUDY – DR FINLAY Doctor Findla y is very, very busy a nd know he should delve more deeply into some of his pa tients’ problems but he ha s so ma ny to see. On the other ha nd he wa nts to offer more a nd just prescribing drugs a nd a ntidepressa nts isn’t enough. When Steven presents himself for his metha done prescription a nd Doctor Findla y insists this is conditiona l on a n a ppointment with the HIO. The HIO recommends the Hea lth Libra ry’s drugs misuse group meeting which is there to upskill and support people with a ddiction problems. She a lso arra nges meetings with benefits a nd homeless support Sta ff Ca se Study Gra eme CASE STUDY- Graeme Gra eme is 68 a nd ha s just lost his wife he goes to the hea lth centre to renew a prescription for his blood pressure. The doctor prescribes a mild BP pill a nd a n a ppointment with the Hea lth informa tion officer. The HI ta lks to Gra eme a nd a s a result prescribes a session with a berea vement Counsellor a nd signs him up for the Sa turda y wa lking Club. A ra nge of 65 counsellors/ experts are on the da ta ba se of support groups linked to the Project. They ra nge from housing and fina ncia l Ca se study - Sue CASE STUDY - Sue Sue is 48 a nd goes to her hea lth centre a s she is very low a nd needs something for depression. She enters the libra ry which is a lso the reception a rea a nd while she is wa iting picks up a few books on stress a nd self-help the Hea lth Info officer cha ts to Her a bout other titles a nd shows her other resources such a s online Stress quizzes on the website in the Internet hea lth ca fe which is a lso the wa iting room. The hea lth informa tion gets to the bottom of her problem (a s libra ria ns do!) a nd prescribes a n a ppointment with a debt councillor a nd a rra nges the meeting for the interview room in the libra ry/ reception a rea for the following da y. A ra nge of 65 counsellors/ experts a re on the da ta ba se of support groups linked to the Project. They ra nge from housing to berea vement to wa lking clubs Ca se Study Ma ria nne CASE STUDY - Marianne Ma ria nne is 17 a nd a single pa rent with some litera cy problems. She goes to the hea lth centre for her ba by milk. While she is there the doctor prescribes a nd a ppointment with the HIO. The HIO a ssesses Ma ria nne’s issues a nd downloa ds NHS Lea flets tha t she ca n expla in to her. She tells her a bout improving here litera cy a nd numera cy skills so tha t she ca n improve her situa tion. She checks the da ta ba se a nd ma kes a n a ppointment with a litera cy tutor for the next Da y. She checks the OPAC a nd prescribes a DVD on looking a fter a new Ba by. With her permission Ma ria nne’s na me is entered on the da ta ba se for follow up. Making health information accessible Tra ining TRAINING • • • • Tra ining for doctors a nd pra ctitioners in signposting Tra ining for sta ff of community orga niza tions a nd the genera l public in hea lth litera cy Tra ining for libra ry sta ff on hea lth reference interviews, e -libra ry etc on community hea lth concerns, hea lth litera cy issues a nd loca ting hea lth informa tion resources Hea lth Litera cy module for the public delivered in the new hea lth Centre CONCLUSION As libra ries ha ve evolved to meet new cha llenges a nd embra ced technology so ha ve the skills a nd expertise of our sta ff. We ha ve built on our core competencies a nd on our experiences. Now, I believe, we ha ve developed into a very va lua ble new breed equipped to bring the profession to the forefront of the knowledge economy, in which informa tion is the new currency. As a profession we ha ve a reputa tion a s effective communica tors a nd fa cilita tors, We a re good a t lia ison a nd tea m working. We ha ve excellent customer-fa cing skills. We a re a pproa cha ble, flexible a nd keen to help. Despite widesprea d use of the internet a nd its supposed user-friendliness, people need significa ntly more guida nce in using electronic resources tha n they did in using a libra ry of print ma teria ls. The skills of a libra ria n a re more Pressures on hea lth sector a nd their openness to innova tion gives us the idea l opportunity to deliver crea tive, effective informa tion a nd support options.