What is Health Literacy?

Health Literacy: the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions (https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/index.html). People apply these health literacy skills either to make sense of health information and services or to provide health information and services to others.

Health Literacy Resources

Health Literacy
This resource from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion includes an overview of health literacy, tools, and additional resources.
Health Literacy, Medline
This is Medline's site on health literacy, with a summary, places to start, the latest news, and many more resources.
Office of Minority Health
The Office of Minority Health was created in 1986 as one of the most significant outcomes of the Heckler Report and was reauthorized by health care legislation signed into law in 2010. The mission of the Office of Minority Health is to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities.

The Office of Minority Health Resource Center was created in 1987. It is the nation's largest repository of information on health disparities issues.

Evaluating Online Health Information

Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine
This video tutorial teaches you how to evaluate the health information that you find on the Web. It is about 16 minutes long.
Evaluating Health Websites
From the National Network of Libraries of Medicine

Health Disparities: You know there's a need, now prove it!
Slides from a webinar on sources of health information, to show how your community measures up. You can also view the webinar recording (https://youtu.be/qeNi4HUcOK0). By Kate Flewelling, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region

Specific Services and Programs

New England Region

NNLM NER connects librarians, health professionals, and public health workers with health information in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.New England Region

If your organization provides health information services, become a Network Member to learn about freely available, quality health and science information resources.

NER Graphic Medicine Initiative:

Graphic Medicine is an emerging field that considers the role that comics can play in medicine – including medical education, health literacy, healthcare communication, and much more. Each of these areas include heavy involvement of librarians. The NER Graphic Medicine initiative seeks to provide training and tools, to inform and encourage growth in the use of comics in our work.

Graphic Medicine Book Club Kits

If you are curious about medical comics, want to start a book club in your organization, or just want to learn more about the experience of a specific topic, our Graphic Medicine Book Club Kits can help. Each kit includes six copies of a graphic novel, a quick-guide to reading comics, discussion questions, and topic-relevant MedlinePlus information. Currently there are eleven Book Club Kits available at this time, are only available to organizations within the New England Region (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT).

Graphic Medicine Education & Information

Recordings of previous trainings and events, as well as other educational materials related to Graphic Medicine.

NNLM All of Us Community Engagement Network

The National Libraries of Medicine (NLM) is honored to be selected as a community partner of the NIH All of Us Research Program. Through this collaboration, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) focuses on consumer access of high quality health information to Underrepresented in Biomedical Research communities throughout the United States while raising awareness of precision medicine and the importance of the NIH All of Us Research Program to enhance medical breakthroughs and advance individualized treatment, prevention, and care for all of us.

Find what you need to live the life you want.

MyPlaceCT.org is a free web-based resource from the State of Connecticut that helps you live life independently. Bringing together the information you need to live how and where you choose.http://myplacect.org

HealthNet is now called Wellness Through Answers.

Does your patron have a question about a personal health or medical concern? Contact Wellness Through Answers at 860-679-4055 (Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm) or by e-mail at hnet@uchc.edu.

Wellness Through Answers also provides guides for consumers and librarians.

Wellness Through Answers is the Connecticut Consumer Health Information Network located at the UCONN Health Center in Farmington, CT.

WebJunction, through a cooperative agreement with IMLS, engaged with state libraries and public libraries to increase the capacity of librarians to help the public with the Affordable Care Act and requests for health information and assistance. Between 2014 and 2016, WebJunction’s Health Happens in Libraries initiative hosted many informative webinars to help libraries support the implementation of the ACA. Librarians and the public are encouraged to sign up for Marketplace emails and alerts on HealthCare.gov.

National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region offers funding to improve access to health information.

Health and Medical Reference Guidelines

In June 2015, the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) released revised Heath and Medical Reference Guidelines, the purpose of which is to assist information services staff in responding to health or medical inquiries. The guidelines describe the role of library staff, recommended professional behavior, and ethics, and link to additional guidelines from other professional associations.

Health Literacy: Health Literacy in Libraries