Information Rx: Evaluation of a new informatics tool for physicians, patients, and libraries

Abstract

Abstract. This paper reports selected results from two comprehensive evaluation studies of the Information Prescription (or "Information Rx") Program implementation conducted from 2002-05 by the American College of Physicians Foundation (ACPF) and the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). In this Program physicians are provided with Information Prescription pads, analogous to pads used to prescribe medications, that are used to direct patients to the MedlinePlus web site and its contents that are applicable to a patient's health condition. The results describe the Program's potential to enhance patient education and interpersonal communication from physician and patient perspectives. The findings suggest once physicians adopt the use of an information prescription, they perceive they are providing an additional clinical service that enhances patient education and interpersonal communication. For physicians, participation in information prescription may improve patient communication, encourage information seeking, and lessen the number of poor quality Internet searches that patients frequently self-perform and bring to a doctor's office. Similarly, once patients receive a recommendation from a physician to seek health information on the web, patients may be more comfortable with health seeking on the Internet and discussing their findings with their doctor. The conclusions of the two evaluation studies imply an Information Prescription fosters a dialogue between providers and patients, helps patients use the Internet more effectively and seems to favorably impact patient education. As the medical community and patient advocacy groups continue to emphasize the importance of evidence-based information as the gold standard for accepted care, it can be expected that informatics tools such as Information Rx will come to play an increasingly important role as a vehicle to help identify and access high quality health information on the Internet.Perceptions of the Internet as a source of vital health information and a resource for patient education, communication and empowerment are changing. In 2000, Shactman [14] found physicians resisted turning to health information on the Internet as a strategy to improve patient interpersonal communication and education. Three areas of concern were identified: the anticipated time demands of emails from patients, lost time in patient visits to discuss information from unknown or dubious sources, and the unreliability of much of the health-related information posted on the Internet.Five years later, Wofford, Smith and Miller [16] note physicians' reservations are changing rapidly. They predict the use of health information from the Internet will become an integral part of patient office visits and education. The computer:

Consumer Health Information Sources in the 21st Century

“…Several authors have described the important role that libraries and information professionals play in improving health literacy in populations and making information more accessible to those with low-health literacy (Helliwell, 2006;Siegel et al, 2006;Smith & Duman, 2009).…”

“…Information professionals and libraries play a role in supporting consumer health information-seeking by providing access to computers and the Internet, referring consumers to trustworthy sites such as MedlinePlus and assisting consumers with the use of these sites (Siegel et al, 2006). Training programs that instruct consumers on how to use the array of information these sites contain are found to be helpful (Chimato & Werner, 2006;Trettin, May & McKeehan, 2008).…”

“…For example, in Skagit Valley in Washington State, medical librarians have delivered training in the basics of health literacy to health professionals (Jacobsen, 2008). Librarians also promote the use of information prescriptions by physicians (Siegel et al, 2006;Jacobsen, 2008). These are similar to prescriptions for pharmaceuticals but they serve to recommend an online source of information.…”

Information Rx: Promotion and Utilization by Georgia Librarians and the Georgia American College of Physicians

“…1 The Information Rx project was created ''to provide information and tools to assist physicians in referring their patients to an authoritative user-friendly and commercial-free Internet site, MedlinePlus, for patient-oriented information.'' 2 The program was planned, in part, to cultivate relationships with libraries to further the awareness of MedlinePlus.…”

Can the Beast Be Tamed? The Woeful Tale of Accurate Health Information on the Internet

“…Whether those benefits are valid in the long term and truly alter patients' information-seeking behavior remains uncertain. 7 I wish I could say that I am optimistic that such efforts would prove fruitful, but I must admit to a certain amount of skepticism. With so many demands on the time and attention of physicians and other health professionals involved in providing care to cancer patients throughout the world, I am not certain that they consider quality Internet-based information one of their top priorities.…”