No Harm on the Farm 2007-2008 Ellen Schellhause, MSLS University of Illinois –Chicago College of Medicine - Rockford.

No Harm on the Farm2007-2008

Ellen Schellhause, MSLSUniversity of Illinois –Chicago

College of Medicine - Rockford

The Crawford Library collaborates with Rural Healthcare programs to teach specific traditional and non-traditional information seeking skills to future rural healthcare providers who might not have access to a hospital or staffed health sciences library when they practice in a rural or farming community.

SETTING:Academic health sciences library serving a school of medicine, college of nursing, college of public health. The National Center for Rural Healthcare Professions on campus provides rural healthcare programs.

POPULATION:Approximately 40 students from these colleges specializing in rural healthcare.

The Farm

• The 2007-08 tour was a family owned 700 cow dairy operation in Northern Illinois which employs 20 people

• 8 faculty, including librarian, were part of the teaching experience

The Tour

• An agricultural setting is visited each year to provide students with a feel for what happens on a farm

• During the tour, farm accidents, illnesses, and statistics are discussed

• Mock accident is staged so students understand how community healthcare providers respond and what happens to patients before they arrive at a healthcare facility

Types of farm injuries and illnesses

• Workers kicked or stomped during birthing or milking

• Cuts or broken bones• Diabetes• Heart Disease• Stress• Depression

Types of Accidents

• Drowning in manure ponds

• Death in methane pits

• Tractor and equipment accidents

The Library role

• Being seen as active faculty in the M2 year tour gives visibility to the library. Students see librarians as interested and approachable

• Allows librarians to work with students throughout the three year program and develop relevant instruction on PUBMED training, Google Searching, and web-based programs available to obtain information for their practice in a rural community

Library Role

• Librarians teach students to access UIC Library materials when on Rural M4 Research project, also with Institutional Review Board (IRB) Patient Education Language component

• Collection Development – knowledge of Rural students educational needs assists in acquiring appropriate journals, monographs, and databases

Barriers for Rural Healthcare providers

• Limited or no access to staffed hospital libraries

• Limited access to electronic journal collections

• Lack of knowledge about free internet based sources

The futureContinued integration into Rural Healthcare Education benefits the Library, the students and ultimately their rural practices

References

• Steiner, V, Hartmann J, Ronau T. MedReach: building an Area Health Education Center medical information outreach system for northwest Ohio.J Med Libr Assoc. 2002 Jul;90(3):317-22.

• Dorsch JL. Information needs of rural health professionals: a review of the literature.Bull Med Libr Assoc. 2000 Oct;88(4):346-54.

• Sargeant JM. Medical education for rural areas: opportunities and challenges for information and communications technologies.J Postgrad Med. 2005 Oct-Dec;51(4):301-7.