michigan informatics

Introduction

In order to make valid decisions about health care, it is necessary to find health information that is accurate, timely, and relevant to the individual's or community's needs. This tutorial focuses on bringing health information to targeted communities via specific educational media.

The resources mentioned in this tutorial include tools for networking with colleagues on similar issues, eliminating duplicative program development, discovering often hard-to-find but significant health promotion publications, and the rapid creating of teaching materials.

Local health sciences librarians may be able to provide additional information on the resources discussed in this tutorial as well as introduce you to additional sources of information. Public health educators may consider partnering with libraries when providing training for their communities.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to use several authoritative, health-related web sites commonly used to provide general health information for the public
• Find health-related materials written in various languages
• Be introduced to different formats for presenting current, authoritative health information
• Be introduced to web sites that discuss literacy and cultural competency issues
• Learn to use tools to assist with health education program development

Supported Competencies

Reference: Developed by The Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice.

• Analytic/Assessment Skills
  • Identifies relevant and appropriate data and information sources
• Communication Skills
  • Communicates effectively both in writing and orally, or in other ways
  • Effectively presents accurate demographic, statistical, programmatic, and scientific information for professional and lay audiences