Learning health information literacy together:the Storying Sheffield Knowing as Healing Project

Vicky Grant University of Sheffield

A University of Sheffield Arts Enterprise funded project

UHMLG 2013

Storying Sheffield workshop

Alexandria proclamation

“Information Literacy lies at the core of lifelong learning. It empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion of all nations”

http://www.ifla.org/publications/beacons-of-the-information-society-the-alexandria-proclamation-on-information-literacy

Information obesity. An abundance of information coupled with a loss of quality, WHITWORTH, A. 2008. Information obesity, Oxford, Chandos.

Confused?

Study days

Health Information Literacy Events

10,00 Welcome

10.15 Ice breaker

10.30  Talk by Dr Tim Kenny of patient.co.uk

11.00 Short films

11.15 Coffee and discussion of films

11.45 Discuss information brought by participants

12.30 Lunch

13.15 Rotating sessions

1. Post it note exercises Where do you look for health information/ How do you decide if the information is reliable?

2. Search exercise. Including demo the of patient.co.uk IBS app.

3. Storytelling. Create short stories telling your IBS story

14.45 Tea

15.00 Story sharing

15.45 Evaluation and close

“I spent a lot of time searching on the internet ... but you can be terrified ... like what if it gets worse ... Some of the GPs can be resentful and will say ‘oh I don’t know about that’ ...” [participant infers that GPs don’t agree with internet informed patients] “But I think that internet informed patients are a good thing because it [IBS] is an illness with so many different symptoms ... Learning from other people is good ... so its just filtering out the right things”

Feedback

“Now I have more an  energy and a motivation to win with IBS”

 ”I feel a lot more confident talking about my IBS after today, and don't feel quite so despondent about it, so thank you! ”

“patients do want to know more and sometimes do know more than the doctor.”

“the medical aspects/jargon are hard to relate to when you’re not a medical student.”

The best thing “hearing other people’s stories” “don’t feel so isolated”

The worst thing “initially getting over my embarrassment of talking about my symptoms in front of other people”

Next steps

• To enhance inclusion by working out in the city

• To collaborate with a local artist and to plan an exhibition for the next IBS network event

Video

Health information obesity: the new epidemic?

Make information poverty history

Acknowledgements

With grateful thanks to

The project supervisors: Prof Brendan Stone and Dr Bernard Corfe

The University of Sheffield Faculty of Arts & Humanities for Arts Enterprise funding

The University of Sheffield Library

patient.co.uk and the IBS Network

The Medical Students and IBS Participants who have given their time and their stories to the project. Thank you