Community access to health information in Ireland

Abstract

This paper is based on a research project conducted on consumer health information (CHI) in the Republic of Ireland, the results of which were published in a report entitled Well Read: Developing Consumer Health Information in Ireland. The paper describes the research methodology and the Irish experience in relation to CHI followed by a discussion of access problems, illustrated with examples from the special needs and primary care sectors. The role of information providers in relation to primary healthcare and libraries is examined briefly, and finally the main research conclusions and recommendations are highlighted.

Rural information deprivation?

“…Some projects have examined the provision of information in rural areas. A case study of the rural area of Wexford was conducted as part of MacDougall’s 4 study looking at the provision of consumer health information for the Irish Library Association. The problem of health information accessibility was highlighted by health professionals interviewed who said:‘This was especially the case in the rural areas where dissemination and communi‐cation of health information was felt to be a real difficulty’.…”