The Rural Assistance Center and the National Rural Health Resources Center recently announced the release of an online health IT toolkit aimed at helping rural health care providers plan and implement health IT projects.

HHS’ Office of Rural Health Policy provided funding to support the development of the online toolkit (AHA News, 1/27).

Toolkit Details

The toolkit offers resources on:

• The planning, setup, implementation and maintenance of health IT systems;
• How to find health IT training programs, management expertise and funding support; and
• The meaningful use program.

Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.

Goals of Toolkit

The toolkit aims to help rural communities:

• Address hurdles to raising capital for health IT projects;
• Improve community college-based health IT training programs;
• Obtain federal resources to support health IT initiatives; and
• Stay informed about health IT policy (RAC release, 1/26).

Read more:  http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/1/31/groups-release-online-health-it-toolkit-for-rural-health-providers.aspx#ixzz1lAGwQOUr.

National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) University is back in session.  The new Spring 2012 semester kicked off February 1^st.  The NeHC University will welcome Gwenn Darlinger, Project Manager at Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, to lead another installment of HIT Orientation, a comprehensive introduction to health IT in under two hours!

The HIT Orientation program will provide students with an introduction to HITECH, ONC initiatives and a high-level view of the current HIT landscape in the U.S.  This class is designed for stakeholders who are new to the HIT field, new to NeHC University, or just need a refresher on some of the HIT basics.

• Register and join NeHC University’s HIT Orientation
• Learn more about NeHC University programs and the new Spring 2012 semester

The MCH Library at Georgetown University presents a new knowledge path, Preconception and Pregnancy.  The knowledge path points to a selection of resources that analyze data, describe effective programs, and report on policy and research aimed at improving access to and quality of preconception and prenatal care to improve perinatal health outcomes.

View the knowledge path at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_pregnancy.html.

Companion resource briefs include the following:

• For Families http://www.mchlibrary.info/families/frb_pregnancy.html
• Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/adolpregnancy.html
• Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and Families http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/ART.html
• Childbirth http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/childbirth.html
• Fertility and Infertility http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/infertility.html
• Medications http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/medications.html
• Nutrition During Preconception and Pregnancy http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/nutritionpregnancy.html
• Screening http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/screening.html
• Tobacco, Alcohol, and Substance Use during Preconception and Pregnancy http://www.mchlibrary.info/guides/substancepregnancy.html

Posted January 12, 2012:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/jf12/jf12_hsr_pm_queries.html.  NLM Technical Bulletin 2012 Jan-Feb; (384):e4.

The National Science Foundation has released its biennial report, “Science and Engineering Indicators: 2012.”  The 600+ page compendium of data concerning research workforce and spending trends highlights the increased spending by China and India in scientific technology and education and a major drop in state funding for U.S. public research institution.  

http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=122859&org=NSB&from=news

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/

What is fracking?  What are uranium tailings and how can they affect my health?  Answers to these questions can be found in Tox Town’s new US Southwest Scene.

http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/flash/southwest/flash.php  (English)

http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/flash/southwest/flash_sp.php (Spanish)

This scene, developed in conjunction with Diné College in New Mexico, highlights locations associated with environmental health concerns impacting the Navajo and others living in the Southwest region of the United States.  New Tox Town locations found in this scene include:

1. Abandoned Mines
2. Coal-Fired Power Plants
3. Dust Storms
4. Hydraulic Fracturing
5. Irrigation Canals and Ditches
6. Oil and Gas Fields
7. Sheep Ranching
8. Uranium Tailings
9. Water Wells
10. Windmills

Regardless of where you live, you will definitely want to visit this new neighborhood and learn about possible environmental health risks in this part of the country.

J Med Internet Res. 2011 Nov 21;13(4):e97.

Public access and use of health research: An exploratory study of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy using interviews and surveys of health personnel

O’Keeffe J, Willinsky J, Maggio L.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

In 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy mandated open access for publications resulting from NIH funding (following a 12-month embargo). The large increase in access to research that will take place in the years to come has potential implications for evidence-based practice (EBP) and lifelong learning for health personnel.

OBJECTIVE

This study assesses health personnel’s current use of research to establish whether grounds exist for expecting, preparing for, and further measuring the impact of the NIH Public Access Policy on health care quality and outcomes in light of time constraints and existing information resources.

METHODS

In all, 14 interviews and 90 surveys of health personnel were conducted at a community-based clinic and an independent teaching hospital in 2010. Health personnel were asked about the research sources they consulted and the frequency with which they consulted these sources, as well as motivation and search strategies used to locate articles, perceived level of access to research, and knowledge of the NIH Public Access Policy.

RESULTS

In terms of current access to health information, 65% (57/88) of the health personnel reported being satisfied, while 32% (28/88) reported feeling underserved. Among the sources health personnel reported that they relied upon and consulted weekly, 83% (73/88) reported turning to colleagues, 77% (67/87) reported using synthesized information resources (e.g., UpToDate and Cochrane Systematic Reviews), while 32% (28/88) reported that they consulted primary research literature. The dominant resources health personnel consulted when actively searching for health information were Google and Wikipedia, while 27% (24/89) reported using PubMed weekly. The most prevalent reason given for accessing research on a weekly basis, reported by 35% (31/88) of survey respondents, was to help a specific patient, while 31% (26/84) were motivated by general interest in research.

CONCLUSIONS

The results provide grounds for expecting the NIH Public Access Policy to have a positive impact on EBP and health care more generally given that between a quarter and a third of participants in this study (1) frequently accessed research literature, (2) expressed an interest in having greater access, and (3) were aware of the policy and expect it to have an impact on their accessing research literature in the future. Results also indicate the value of promoting a greater awareness of the NIH policy, providing training and education in the location and use of the literature, and continuing improvements in the organization of biomedical research for health personnel use.

PMID: 22106169

[PubMed - in process]

Free full text

You are invited to a conference call on:

Prevention and Health Reform: Bringing Health to Where We Live, Learn, Work, Pray and Play

(Hosted By the HHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships)

Tuesday, January 10 at 1:00 pm ET

You must RSVP to attend. Please RSVP here no later than Monday, January 9 at 1:00 pm EST.

• Call-In information will be provided 24 hours prior to the call ONLY to those who RSVP.
• PowerPoint slides are available by clicking here (Prevention and Health Reform Slides under “Resources”).

Please submit any questions you have in advance of the call to ACA101@hhs.gov.

The Disaster Information Specialist monthly meeting is open to all and may be attended in-person or by Adobe Connect.   The meeting will be held Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET.

We will be launching and demonstrating the NEW National Library of Medicine (NLM) Disaster Information Management Research Center’s topic page “Disaster Apps and Mobile-Optimized Web Pages” at the meeting.  As part of the launch, the meeting will feature a presentation on disaster-related mobile tools and apps by NLM’s Siobhan Champ-Blackwell and Jamie Peacock.  They will cover some of the basics of mobile technologies, including the difference between an app and a mobile-optimized Web site.  They will also highlight some of the most useful apps and tools to have on a mobile device prior to/during emergencies and disasters.

** This meeting will be held using Adobe Connect **

To join the meeting at 1:30 pm ET, Thursday, January 12 click on:  https://webmeeting.nih.gov/disinfo.

Enter your name in the guest box and click  “Enter Room.”  A box should pop-up asking for your phone number.  Enter your number and the system will call you.
For those who cannot use the call-back feature, the dial-in information is below.
Dial-In:  1-888-757-2790
Pass-Code: 745907
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If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before:

• Test your connection: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

• Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview
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** OR, if you can attend the meeting by joining us in our offices at 6707 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD, Suite 440. Park in the visitor’s parking lot (we will validate your parking), walk to the middle building (Democracy Two) and take the elevator to the 4th floor. Suite 440 is around the corner behind the elevators.**

Elizabeth Norton, Librarian
Disaster Information Management Research Center
Specialized Information Services Division
National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892-5467
nortone@nlm.nih.gov

An interesting report with state-by-state snapshots:  http://www.americashealthrankings.org/rankings.