Research Questions Joan Zenan, Jocelyn Rankin

Public Health Outreach Forum

National Library of MedicineLister Hill Auditorium Bethesda, Maryland

Research Questions/Issues

• Linking My Library and Infinet - define scope and how it transacts needed info (e.g., e coli)– need to segment needs by work group– how might this help to structure design of

services/training

• Document delivery to ASTHO member organizations - do we know how many have doc delivery partners? Who are they? What is level of demand?

Research Questions/Issues

• Fulltext on web - does anyone include the state libraries in license negotiations?

• “White” on HAN maps - how do we fill the data gaps? Is an information infrastructure needs inventory needed?

• What’s the role of AHECs in collaborating with SHDs?

• What’s the role of IAIMS?

Research Questions/Issues• How to deal with issue of turnover?• Need for standardization of data collection

instruments?• What literature outside traditional literature

is needed? How to provide access? Look at HIV model.

• MEDLINE literature may be too clinical. Maybe expand MEDLINEplus materials instead?

• Need studies on info seeking behaviors in disparate PH professionals

Research Questions/Issues

• Do we know how much PH literature is available online? Status of e-publishing in PH?

• Do we have techniques for finding evidence-based answers in PH?

• Effective ways for PH pros to learn - classroom vs. other training delivery mecahnisms?

Research Questions/Issues• Training requirements for workgroups -

how do we define a workgroup? Self-defining is a mixed bag - classifying by job description may miss groups.

• Comparative study of self-empowerment training vs. full-service model

• Halo effect of follow-up to training - does training impact practice, effectiveness?

Research Questions/Issues• How the public perceives PH - role for

collaborations in researching this– PH “branding” initiative– Turning Point’s social marketing collaborative

• HRSA’s PH Training Centers - needs assessments of PH workers might be data source

• Training of librarians for PH roles - need for train the trainers, shadowing, mentoring

Research Questions/Issues

• Need for collective multi-site evaluations to assess cumulative effects

• Measuring info seeking behavior - utility of pre-class and post-class survey (immediate and months later)

• Similar issues will be raised at the PH Informatics AMIA Spring Congress (see next slide)

4. PHI Research Agenda Topics(from Bill Yasnoff)

Data Collection, Management, & Quality Evaluation Integration of Data Data and Information Dissemination Confidentiality Automated Decision Support Policy Collaboration Training