Providing consumer health information through institutional collaboration.

In the past several years, The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library of the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center (HSC) has noted a growing demand for consumer health information. However, because the primary role of the library is to provide information services to health professionals at the HSC, questions have been raised as to the amount of time, energy, and money that should be expended to provide health care information to consumers. The library staff, because it can provide special expertise regarding the availability and utilization of consumer health materials, has felt the responsibility to participate in HSC initiatives that reach a broad audience. Library efforts in that regard include assisting with inventory and management of patient education materials, participating in a community health promotion task force, collaborating with hospital departments in planning a consumer health information center, establishing a consumer health information reference section in the library, and obtaining a grant to offer a networked health information system to local public and community college libraries. Consumers of health information benefit from the enhanced services that result from combining the expertise of health professionals and patient educators with the information management skills of library staff.