PAHI Workshop
From the President
• “… health information professionals in
Africa must take the lead in improving the
health of the society. This should be
done through active involvement in
ensuring those providing healthcare as
well as consumers access accurate and
timely information. Health information
professionals should take more proactive
roles in ensuring this is achieved.”
Message from Nasra Gathoni to delegates attending the
Public Access to Health Information (PAHI) Workshop , Senegal, June 2011
Aim , objectives & outcomes (1)
AIM
The overall aim of the workshop is to
discuss & share ideas on how to
build partnerships through libraries
and communication bridges from
libraries which will be effective in
getting reliable health information
flowing through to communities and
citizens, where this information can
make a real difference.
Aim , objectives & outcomes (2)
OBJECTIVES
• Professional roles changing/ expand
through partnership
• Map what is being done
• Use expertise in the group
• Principles for evaluating reliable health
information
• Share & learn together
Aim , objectives & outcomes (3)
OUTCOMES
• Implications of PAHI for existing
& new Country Chapters of
AHILA
• Workshop deliberations to feed
into Resolutions for General
Assembly around activities for
reporting back on at next AHILA
Summary of Purpose
• How can librarians provide more
& better information to the
public?
• Workshop will facilitate
experiences & discussion on
ways of working based on
partnership
Exploring partnership (1)
A definition
Partnership can be defined as a collaborative
relationship between two or more parties based
on trust, equality and mutual understanding for
the achievement of a specified goal.
Partnerships involve risks as well as benefits,
making shared accountability critical.
WHO African Partnerships for Patient Safety
Exploring partnership (2)
• There are many opportunities for
libraries to get involved with health
information work (despite all the agencies
and NGOs already involved).
• The best type of involvement is through
partnerships, where libraries can offer:
– Existing skills and materials
– Connections with the community
Exploring partnership (3)
IFLA/FAIFE Principles The 5 Ps
• Partnerships (clinical staff, health NGOs,
patients, etc)
• Participation (of the whole community/all
stakeholders)
• Presence (of librarians)
• Protocols (clear agreements on the role of the
library)
• Privacy (for individuals)
Exploring partnership (4)
Principle 1 Partnership
• Health problems are addressed more effectively by a
health professional/library partnership than by either
alone
• Partnerships that include NGOs and community groups
are even stronger
• When the problem is information (as the basis of
prevention) partnership is at its most effective
• Including the library in a partnership (as an established
information provider) is very effective
Exploring partnership (5)
Principle 2 Participation
• Top down non-participatory programmes
are not successful
• Involve all stakeholders
• Involve local communities
• Importance of consultation & active
listening
• Importance of clear communication
Exploring partnership (6)
Principle 3 Presence (of librarians)
• Outside libraries in clinics/ health centres
etc helps make information work more
effective
• Librarians widely accepted as a helpful
source of information that is important to
health and well-being
• Builds on acceptance of their role in
health information literacy training
Exploring partnership (7)
Principle 4 Protocols
• Involving librarians in health information raises
questions
• What can librarians do?
– Provide enquirers with information prepared by
experts
– Offer the library as a base for information
campaigns
• What can’t they do?
– Deal with individual health problems
• Clear protocols are needed when the library is
included in a partnership.
Exploring partnership (8)
Principle 5 Privacy
• Essential that library offers individuals the
same privacy as they would in clinic or
hospital settings
• The library profession usually includes
statements about user privacy in its
Codes of Ethics
• This principle needs to be very strongly
embedded in any partnership that
includes libraries.
Exploring partnership (9)
Barriers / Benefits ( 2 Bs )
Barriers
• no clear boundary between partners'
responsibilities
• reluctance to share information
• lack of time to commit to partnership, esp.
early stages
• potential conflicts in philosophies of the
partners
• lack of training among partners on substantive
Exploring partnership (10)
Benefits TEAM Together Everyone Achieves
•
•
•
•
•
More
Expanding outreach by reaching new
audiences, creating and enhancing programs
and services
Sharing talents and resources
Minimising duplication of effort
Improvements in quality of services
Maximizing the impact of partners through joint
action and building human capital and
community support
Exploring partnership (11)
Partnerships are about people, first and
foremost. The most effective partnerships
… consist of committed, hard working
people who communicate and work
well with each other. The quality of
relationships between individuals is
crucial.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world.....indeed it is the only
thing that ever does!“ Margaret Mead
Case Study Template (1)
Title of Project - Strengthening Resource management in five
remote nursing schools
Brief Description -The *ZUKHWA/THET project provided volunteer
nursing/midwifery tutors (VNTs) in understaffed rural/provincial
schools (from 2010) for three years. This enabled five local staff
to do BSc courses at the Post Basic Nursing training (University of
Zambia) to enable them become tutors. At a recent meeting with
the five VNTs and THET the top priority identified was the need
for improvements in library services, which would be
sustainable. Phi was approached for advice and a
multidisciplinary training workshop on resource management
culminating in ‘Building Strong Library Associations’ training was
agreed . *Zambia UK Health Workforce Alliance ( ZUKWHA)
•
Case Study Template (2)
Country - Zambia
Partners involved - Phi; Tropical Health & Education Trust;
ITOCA; University of Zambia Librarians; Teaching Aids at Low
Cost (TALC)
Key Contacts - Director, Phi & Senior staff in all organisations plus
a nominated lead from the VNTs
Key Outcomes - NB Sought but not confirmed
• Raising awareness of need to support resource manager
development/library and other service improvements
• Increased knowledge and understanding of the role of resource
managers
• Potential for improved services for users
• revitalised Country chapter of AHILA in Zambia
Case Study Template (3)
• What were the barriers and how did you overcome them?
• Complexity overcome by regular & frequent communication
• Unreliable technology overcome by patience, tolerance, use of
mob phones & re-scheduling
• Lack of clarity over roles & responsibilities overcome by
flexibility with firmness by all partners; plus courteous
communication
What would you do differently next time?
• Think how long the project should take & treble the time
• Do not make assumptions about roles & responsibilities; be
explicit & write down & get agreement from all partners. Do
not start the project without this. Review regularly & revise
as necessary
Other comments Project progressing well through excellent ,
regular & frequent communication & relationship building
Mapping partnerships (1)
What factors enable success?
Clarity of
• Aim ; it is agreed and understood
by all the partners
• Leadership; it is effective
• Role; each partner is identified and
their role is clear to others in the
partnership
Mapping partnerships (2)
Other success factors
• Shared ownership; all partners feel there is
'something in it for them'
• Dedicated time (and resources); for the
administration and operation of the partnership
• Recognition of different organisational
cultures within the partnership
• Supportive atmosphere ; ability within the
partnership to accept suggestions, ideas &
address disagreement or conflict
Partnership potential; role of libraries (1)
Libraries can help people get relevant
information for various purposes:
– To help them with avoidance of the causes
of ill-health through knowledge
– To help them take advantage of prevention
programmes such as immunisation
– To help them get the best treatment for
health problems
Partnership potential; role of libraries (2)
Libraries have a great deal to offer
• Skills
– Skills that librarians have (acquiring, organising and
presenting information)
– Skills that librarians can teach – Information Literacy
• Materials
– Health information corners for the public
– Bibliographies and documents for doctors and
researchers
• Premises
– For meetings
– Publicity through posters and events
Partnership potential; role of libraries (3)
• The library is a potential community focal point;
could it partner & help extend the community
activities with clinics? with NGO health
information projects? with government health
campaigns?
• Can visits/speakers from community health
workers, nurses, doctors, NGO project workers
be organised?
• Can activities take place both inside & outside
the Library?
Partnership potential; role of libraries (4)
Library health information corners
• Libraries can collect the leaflets, manuals and
other materials created by government
agencies and NGOs.
• These materials are free, but often some work
is necessary to obtain them.
• The library can make them available for users
to take away (or consult in the library if there is
only one copy).
• A special health information corner is one way
to do this. Is it the best way? Are there other
ways?
Partnership potential; role of libraries (5)
Learning groups and clubs
• Can Libraries/ians partner with local school teachers?
Together organise activity and learning groups on
health issues?
• Can they partner with community health workers &
jointly lead groups, using posters and other materials
for learning
• Can they consider guest visits by nurses, project
workers etc. to form part of programme for the group
• Can they consider accessing films or videos to show
the group? Other ideas?
Partnership potential; role of libraries (6)
Librarians outside the library: who can be
partners?
• Can Librarians promote health information by visits to
venues such as:
– Schools
– Churches, and other meeting places such as
– Markets
– Bus and railway stations
• Can Librarians organise publicity in local newspapers
and radio stations?
• Library representation at community and development
project meetings. How can Libraries get involved?
Partnership potential; role of libraries (7)
Information literacy activities
• Is it your experience that people need help in
understanding
– Health information pamphlets and brochures
– Prescriptions and doctor’s instructions
– Publicity materials such as posters.
• Can librarians can help individuals interpret
information?
• Can librarians also work with groups to
improve general information literacy?