Search

Background: Barriers to receiving optimal healthcare exist for Indigenous populations globally for a range of reasons. To overcome such barriers and enable greater access to basic and specialist care, developments in information and communication technologies are being applied. The focus of this scoping review is on web-based therapeutic interventions (WBTI) that aim to provide guidance, support and treatment for health problems. Objectives: This review identifies and describes international scientific evidence on WBTI used by Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA for managing and treating a broad range of health conditions. Eligibility criteria: Studies assessing WBTI designed for Indigenous peoples in Australia, Canada, USA and New Zealand, that were published in English, in peer-reviewed literature, from 2006 to 2018 (inclusive), were considered for inclusion in the review. Studies were considered if more than 50% of participants were Indigenous, or if results were reported separately for Indigenous participants. Sources of evidence: Following a four-step search strategy in consultation with a research librarian, 12 databases were searched with a view to finding both published and unpublished studies. Charting methods: Data was extracted, synthesised and reported under four main conceptual categories: (1) types of WBTI used, (2) community uptake of WBTI, (3) factors that impact on uptake and (4) conclusions and recommendations for practice. Results: A total of 31 studies met the inclusion criteria. The WBTI used were interactive websites, screening and assessment tools, management and monitoring tools, gamified avatar-based psychological therapy and decision support tools. Other sources reported the use of mobile apps, multimedia messaging or a mixture of intervention tools. Most sources reported moderate uptake and improved health outcomes for Indigenous people. Suggestions to improve uptake included as follows: tailoring content and presentation formats to be culturally relevant and appropriate, customisable and easy to use. Conclusions: Culturally appropriate, evidence-based WBTI have the potential to improve health, overcome treatment barriers and reduce inequalities for Indigenous communities. Access to WBTI, alongside appropriate training, allows health care workers to better support their Indigenous clients. Developing WBTI in partnership with Indigenous communities ensures that these interventions are accepted and promoted by the communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The purpose of this review was to uncover areas of competence which may lead to a baseline of skills for health librarians. A baseline could inform personal development plans for health librarians, criteria for job descriptions and curriculum for library and information science ( LIS) courses. Methods This research outlines existing competencies for librarians working in health care as defined by library associations, recent job descriptions and a mapping review of the library and information science literature. This is performed in the context of librarians working in the Irish health system with examples of practice drawn from the Irish experience. Results Ten areas of competence were found to be common to three of five library associations, which were also common to recent job descriptions. The literature reveals an ever changing working environment for librarians working in health with opportunities for new and evolving roles. Conclusions The challenge for librarians moving into these roles will be to stay relevant and to keep skills updated in a rapidly moving health and information environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The extent to which existing and future research can impact on reducing health disparities relates not only to the evidence available, but the ability to find that evidence. Our objective is to quantify experts' literature searching effectiveness with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's health. Methods Nine journals were dual reviewed, and a 'gold standard' set of relevant articles was identified. Health librarians ( n = 25) completed a standardised searching task using OVID MEDLINE, and results were compared with the gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity and precision rates were calculated. Results The gold standard comprised 136 of 1469 (9.3%) records from nine journals. Searches achieved a mean sensitivity of 53.2% (median = 64.7%, range 0.0-93.4%), specificity of 97.4% (median = 99.4%, range 52.6-100%) and precision of 83.3% (median = 91.0%, range 16.7-100%). Self-estimates of search sensitivity ( post hoc) were significantly higher than observed (M = 78.9%, t = 4.812, P < 0.001). Conclusions Even expert searchers struggle to find the relevant peer-reviewed literature in MEDLINE. Implications A search filter may improve searching effectiveness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health literature. Assessment of health librarians' searching competencies warrants further professional debate and consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of papers related to medical resources including "The Use of Tags and Tag Clouds to Discern Credible Content in Online Health Message Forums," by L. Betel and colleagues, "AccessSurgery: A Review," by Elizabeth Ketterman, and "Presenting with an iPad," by Michael Gerner.

This is the second in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the first decade of the 21st century. The invited authors were asked to reflect on developments in their country - viz. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Future issues will track trends in Northern Europe, the Nordic countries, Southern Europe and Latin America. JM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This guest feature from Suzanne Lewis, a long-time advocate of evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP) in Australia, discusses a current trend within the movement that focuses on the skills, knowledge and competencies of health librarians. In particular, the feature describes three specific Australia-based research projects, on expert searching, indigenous health and future skills requirements for the health library workforce respectively, that exemplify this trend. These projects illustrate how the evidence base can be strengthened around the skills and knowledge required to deliver services that continue to meet the changing needs of health library and information users. AB [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]