Overview

This book contains practical tips and tools for every health reference desk!Patrons seeking medical information are often trying to gain control following an upsetting diagnosis - working with them can be rewarding and difficult. In this practical, readable guide, consumer health reference expert Michele Spatz, gives you an understanding of the psychology of those seeking medical information and the skills necessary to respond usefully and appropriately.Spatz outlines the most common inquiries and behaviors of health information searchers and the most useful go-to resources. Sample librarian-patron interactions in every chapter give you useful strategies and scripts. Dozens of templates and forms and tips on everything - from setting up the reference desk to encourage confidential inquiries to using body language to signal your availability - will help you create a welcoming, empowering atmosphere in your library.Chapters on ethics and potential legal issues guide you through the nitty-gritty of what constitutes practicing medicine without a license, confidentiality requirements, and more. Sections on email, virtual, and telephone reference will help you establish clear guidelines, and creative tips on marketing to healthcare providers will help you forge valuable new partnerships. A section on self-care offers strategies for dealing with job-induced stress. Every information professional who helps patrons with health inquiries will want a copy of this useful, inspiring book.

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9781555706326

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Reviews

Aimed at librarians who do not deal with health information on a day to day basis, I was surprised by how informative I found this book. The legal issues chapter was very interesting and it contained helpful examples of disclaimers for use with health information in general and with mediated searches. In particular I found the information about regaining control of your emotions in tense situations very helpful and will try employing the 'Four-step approach' in future. The final chapter 'Self-care for the Health Information Provider' looks at taking care of your own well-being when dealing with the stresses and strains of enquiries from people who perhaps have a poor prognosis or who are very emotional. I didn't think it would be relevant to me at all but actually I would recommend this section in particular to everyone, we are all likely to suffer from stress in one form or another at some time in our lives and the stress mapper and tips on how to relieve stress would be useful to most of us. CILIP Health Libraries Group Newsletter, June 2009

Aimed at librarians who do not deal with health information on a day to day basis, I was surprised by how informative I found this book. The legal issues chapter was very interesting and it contained helpful examples of disclaimers for use with health information in general and with mediated searches. In particular I found the information about regaining control of your emotions in tense situations very helpful and will try employing the 'Four-step approach' in future. The final chapter 'Self-care for the Health Information Provider' looks at taking care of your own well-being when dealing with the stresses and strains of enquiries from people who perhaps have a poor prognosis or who are very emotional. I didn't think it would be relevant to me at all but actually I would recommend this section in particular to everyone, we are all likely to suffer from stress in one form or another at some time in our lives and the stress mapper and tips on how to relieve stress would be useful to most of us. CILIP Health Libraries Group Newsletter, June 2009

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