The contribution of australian hospital libraries to improving consumer health literacy: Four case studies

Abstract

The case studies in this chapter describe consumer health literacy pro¬grams undertaken by four hospital libraries in Australia. Three of the case studies focus on the more traditional aspects of information literacy and the role of librar¬ies in information provision. The fourth study is about an education program that sought to develop the skills and knowledge of a group of consumers to empower them to play a more active role in their own healthcare decisions and to pass on what they learned to their networks. The case studies are part of a research study known as the HeLiNS, Health Libraries for the National Standards Project. The case studies demonstrate that hospital libraries and healt..