Global Access to Aging lnformation and theGerontology Healthy Ageing PortalLisa E. Skemp, PhD, RN; Ji Woon Ko, MSN, RN; Cliff Missen, MA; and Diane peterson, MA

ABSTRACTNursing, gerontology, and informa-tion communications technologiesare well positioned to influence ge-rontological health system develop-ment by promoting global access toevidence-based best practices that fa-cilitate local access to knowledge. Ge-rontological nurses, as members of theglobal community, are encouraged tobecome partners in promoting activeand healthy aging. One mechanism is

by participating in the developmentof a Gerontology Healthy Ageing Por-tal in the eGranary Digital Library, an"lnternet in a Box"" that provides of-fline digital resources to institutionsand individuals where lnternet accessis lacking or undependable.

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1- lobal aging is an issue for borhUde,reloped and dcvelopingcountries. The increased proportionof older people in the population isparticularly relevant for develop-ing countries and rural areas in theUnited States that have not hadthe opportunity to prepare for thisrapid population shift (Institute ofMedicine [IOM], 2008; Kinsella &He, 2009; World Health Organiza-tion [$(HO] ,2AA6). \Whi1e a largerproportion of older adults in thepopulation brings opportunities forpromoting active participation insociety and the building of balancedand healthy communities, there isalso an associated increase in chronic

noncommunicable health conditions(\rHo,2002).

Chronic noncommunicablediseases now accounr for 85% of theburden of disease in high-incomecountries and 44o/o in low- tomiddle-income counrries (NationalInstitute on Aging, 2007). if notaddressed, rhc lack oI prevenrionor poor management of chronichealth conditions and the resultingconcomitant disabilities wili lead toworse population health outcomes.Additionally, in deveioping countriesand the rural United States, agingis of particular concern because ofa growing health care workforceshortage and unequal access to healthinforrnation (Rogers, 2002; U.S.Department of Agriculture [USDA],2009; \VHO,2006).

ACCESSTO KNOWLEDGEKnowledge is a main driver of

improved health outcomes (IOM,2009). Deaton (200a) contendedthat while income is one of thedeterminants of population health,

the transmission of health relatedknowledge is morehcalth and life expectancy of thc vastmajority of mankind, whether theylive in rich or poor countries, dependson ideas, techniques, and therapiesdeveloped elsewhere, so that it is thespread of knowledge, that is the fun-

Copyright O SLACK Incorporared

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

^ Dr Skemp is Directo_r., Global Health Initiatioes, John A. Hartfortl Center ofGeriatric Nursing Excellence, and Associate Professor, Adult and Gerontologicil Nurs-iyg, Ms. Kg is a doctoral candidate, The {Jni.oersity of Iowa College of Nuring, Mr,Missen is Director, WiderNet Project, and Professor, School of Library and InformationScience, and Ms. Peterson tta-s a graduate student, The unio:ersity of lou.ta, Iori,a City,and is currently Qzoyer, Daily Dimensions Computer Sertices, Ceiar Rapids, Iori;a.

The authors cJisclose that they hape no signtficant financial interests in any productor class of protluas discussed directly or indirectly in this activity. The \X/ideiNet Prctj-e_ct is supporte.d in part by Intel corporation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Seag'ateInternational.

ArJdre,ss correspondence to Lisa E. Skemp, PhD, RN, Associate Professor, Adult andGerontological Nursing, The Llni.oersity of Iou,a College of Nursing,-4BB NB, Io.utaC iy, I A 5 2242 ; e - mail: lis a- s le e mp@ uiot', a. e d u.

Posted: December 22, 2A1Adoi:1 0.392B/A0989 1 34-2A 1 A I 2A2-A1

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damental determinant of populationhealth. (pp. 83-84)

Information and communicationtechnologies (lCT) facilitare accessto knowledge and information andcreate an excellent opportunity fornursing interuention and leadership(Abbott & Coenen,2O08). Whenhealth care providers, patients, andfamilies need information, they areincreasingly using websites to accesshealth care information (HarrisonEe Lee, 2006). A recent Google'"'search on "aging" elicited 48,900,000sources, and 13O,o0O sources wereidentified for "healthy aging."

Access to the Internet, however,does not ensure that users knowhow to navigate websites to getthe best evidence-based andculturally appropriate information.Furthermore, four of five peopleworldwide do not have any ordependable access to the Internet,according to the InternationalTelecommunications Union (20 1 0),with Internet penetration beingless than 1ok inthe worid's poorestcountries. One mechanism to addressthis inequity in information access isro deploy offline information storagethat requires no Internet.

The purpose of this article isto describe the eGranary DigitalLibrary. an olfline information

resource that mimicsthe Internet by mirroringmore than 1,200 websites,and discuss the ongoingdevelopment of a focused healthyaging and gerontology portalon eGranary. The gerontologyportal and eGranary are part ofthe larger \(iderNet Project at TheUniversity ol Iowa. Opponunitiesfor participation by gerontologicalnurses are highlighted.

WIDERNET PROJECT ANDONSITE DIGITAL LIBRARIES

The $TiderNet Project is aservice organization based out ofThe University of Iowa School ofLibrary and Information Science.It provides resources, coaching,training, computers, and educationalmaterials to schools, clinics,libraries, and homes with poordigital communication resourcesin dozens of developing countries,as well as regions in the UnitedStates where information access ispoor (ViderNet, n.d.). The conceptof the eGranary was born whileone of the authors (C.M.) wasworking with villagers in Africawho identified a need and "hunger"for current information. Similar tohow a granary stores seeds for thenext planting season of crops thatprovide the food to sustain survivalof villagers, the eGranary DigitalLibrary stores electronically capturedinformation for people to use to

r. lmPrOVehealth, ,

education,and social welfare.

Currently, the eGranaryDigital Library is installed at morethan 350 hospitals, clinics, andschools worldwide, serving close to 1

million patrons.The eGranary Digitai Library is

a coilection of more than 14 millionelectronic files. including copiesof websites, textbooks, journals,multimedia presentations, and anarray of digital resource materialson a wide range of topics. Thesematerials come from thousands ofcredible sources and organizations,including more than 1,000authors and publishers who havecontributed copyrighted materialto this collection. Librarians atThe University of Iowa vrork withstakeholders to identify, copy, andcatalog content pertinent to theirtopics and research programs. All ofthis information is easiiy searchableand is contained on a computer diskdrive that is physically delivered toinstitutions in developing countrieswhcre there is no lnternet connection,

JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGICAL NURSING 'vOL. 37, NO. 1' 2011

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