Looking for materials to use to share with clients, patrons, co-workers, on the National Library of Medicine’s premiere consumer and medical research websites? Download and copy these online brochures to use in promotion of resources you have access to at your institution.

PubMed Basics:
http://nnlm.gov/training/resources/pmtri.pdf

MedlinePlus Basics: (English and Spanish versions)

http://nnlm.gov/training/resources/mptri.pdf
http://nnlm.gov/training/resources/mptri_esp.pdf

MedlinePlus for Health Professionals:
http://nnlm.gov/training/resources/mp4hptri.pdf

Included among the revisions are mention of MedlinePlus’ “Multiple Languages” feature and updated snapshots of the PubMed and MedlinePlus home pages.

Additionally, The Exhibition Program: K-12 Resources on the Web brochure has been updated.  This PDF can be found at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/about/exhibition/pdf/EPonlineK_12resources.pdf.  Similar information is also available on an HMD/Exhibition Program web site at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/especiallyfor/teachersstudents.html#A1.

These and other brochures can also be found at http://nnlm.gov/sea/services/promotional.html

http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2008/innovationspr.htm

A new Web resource that allows users to learn, share, and adopt innovations in the delivery of health services was launched today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The resource-called the Health Care Innovations Exchange-is available at www.innovations.ahrq.gov.

AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange is the federal government’s repository for successful health care innovations. It also includes useful descriptions of attempts at innovation that failed. The Web site is a tool for health care leaders, physicians, nurses, and other health professionals who seek to reduce health care disparities and improve health care overall.

One of the innovations reads like an NN/LM funded outreach project:

Church-Based Initiative Supports Volunteers in Providing Education and Screenings to 150,000+ Memphis Residents, Leading to Improved Health Status (04/14/2008)

A church-based program trains congregational members to be volunteer “Health Representatives” for their churches. These representatives provide health and disease prevention education and health screenings related to health priorities established by the church and its pastor, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.

Stay tuned, there is also an upcoming Webinar: Using AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange to Take on the Challenges of Care Delivery scheduled for May 12, 2:00 to 3:30 EDT.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is pleased to announce the solicitation of quotations from organizations and libraries to design and conduct projects that will improve access to HIV/AIDS related health information for patients, the affected community, and their caregivers.

Projects must involve one or more of the following information access categories:

• Information retrieval
• Skills development
• State-of-the-art resources
• Resource development
• Document Access.

Emphasis is placed upon the following types of organizations or arrangements for developing these programs:

• Community-based organizations (CBOs) or patient advocacy groups currently providing HIV/AIDS related serves to the affected community
• Public libraries serving communities in the provision of HIV/AIDS-related information and resources
• Health departments or other local, municipal, or state agencies working to improve public health
• Faith-based organizations currently providing HIV/AIDS-related services
• Multi-type consortia of the above-listed organizations that may be in existence or formed specifically for this project.

Standard Awards are offered for up to $60,000. Express Awards are offered for up to $10,000.

Quotations are due to NLM on Monday, June 16, 2008.

The solicitation for the 2008 AIDS Community Information Outreach Projects is posted at http://www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/hiv/2008aidsrfq.html .

Previously funded AIDS Community Information Outreach Projects are posted at http://www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach/aids_cio_projects.html .

If there are any questions or concerns regarding the Request for Quotations (RFQ) or submission of the proposal, please contact Robin Hope-Williams, the NLM Contracting Officer, at (301) 496-6546 or email to: rhwilli@mail.nih.gov.

The NGC mission is to provide physicians, nurses, and other health professionals, health care providers, health plans, integrated delivery systems, purchasers and others an accessible mechanism for obtaining objective, detailed information on clinical practice guidelines and to further their dissemination, implementation and use. Below are links to guidelines for April’s health topics.

Health Awareness Topics - April 2008

• Alcohol Awareness Month (see related guidelines)
• Cancer Control Month (see the Frequently Requested Search page for various cancer-related topics)
• National Autism Awareness Month (see related guidelines)
• STD Awareness Month (see the Frequently Requested Search page for various STD-related topics)

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/techbull/ma08/ma08_my_ncbi_collections.html

The new Health Care Notification Network system was created by Medem of San Francisco, California. It is supported by a group of pharmaceuticals, insurance firms, organizations, and medical centers, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, J and J, as well as the American College of Surgeons, among others (full list at http://www.hcnn.net/docs/HCNNSupporters.pdf). The network will be using email to quickly disseminate time sensitive drug safety alert information to health care professionals.

• HCNN replaces the current, paper-based alerts sent to physicians and other healthcare providers via U.S. mail.
• Alerts include medication recalls, warnings and national public health emergencies.
• HCNN fulfills new FDA guidance for electronic communication of patient safety notification and is supported by medical liability carriers, U.S. medical societies, national patient advocacy groups, health plans and many other national healthcare organizations that are dedicated to improved patient safety.
• HCNN protects healthcare provider privacy. No email addresses will be sold or disclosed to any third parties.

Registration for U.S. physicians and other health care providers is available immediately at http://www.hcnn.net. For more information about the HCNN and online patient safety Alert services, see http://www.hcnn.net.

We’ve made some changes to SEA Currents in the hopes that the newsletter will be easier to use and to make it more interactive.

First we’ve opened Comments to the world. All you need to do is enter the name you wish to appear on the comments-a real name, or a nickname, or whatever you like, and an email address. The email address will not show up on the public post, but is meant to keep machines from posting comments directing us to online drugstores or even less savory locations. So, please, comment away! (If your comments do not show up immediately, do not panic, our comment filter may believe that your comment is comment spam and is holding on to it for an administrator to allow it. Give us at least one business day to allow comments before emailing us to see what happened.)

Second, we now have a link on the lower left-hand side of the screen allowing readers who do not want come to our website or make use of RSS subscriptions to subscribe via email. If you register using this link, you will receive the text of SEA Currents posts as soon as they are published. If you have already registered at the SEA Currents site, please do so again, since we are not assuming that everyone who registered initially wants email notifications. To register immediately go to  the email registration page.

We hope you enjoy reading SEA Currents and that the experience has become richer for you with these additions. If you have other improvements to suggest, please let us know.

http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2008/poisonhelp.htm

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced a new poison prevention campaign. The Poison Help Campaign addresses the alarming statistics on poisonings in the United States. This past year, more than 2.4 million poison exposures were reported to the nation’s network of Poison Control Centers (PCCs). Unintentional poisoning deaths are the second leading cause of injury death for U.S. adults.

The campaign features a new Web site, http://PoisonHelp.hrsa.gov, with downloadable resources to inform and educate the public on poison prevention, and the national Poison Help toll-free number (1-800-222-1222) that callers can use to reach a PCC. The Campaign also serves as a resource for health professionals, PCC staff, and injury prevention organizations.

Consider subscribing to the Poison Control Program Update, a quarterly newsletter describing current and upcoming program activities and highlights new poison prevention resources. http://poisonhelp.hrsa.gov/news_winter08.htm

To receive future newsletters via e-mail, contact HRSA at comments@hrsa.gov.

http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlID=297

The Office of Minority Health has chosen A Healthy Baby Begins with You as the theme for its work during National Minority Health Month in April, and calls on state and local governments and offices of minority health to organize events and put forth proclamations to bring due attention to this issue. See more about this event at: http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=182

OMH invites communities to host A Healthy Baby Begins with You events during the month and throughout the year, and will list events to be held on its web site, www.omhrc.gov. The web site also has materials to help communities organize their events.

“This campaign is part of a broader National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities that OMH has introduced to combat health disparities in all communities,” said Dr. Graham. “We are pleased to work with all of our partners to help bring an end to preventable infant deaths.”

The campaign’s brochure, including tips for a healthy start for mothers and babies, is available for download at http://www.omhrc.gov/Assets/pdf/checked/brochure.pdf. An assortment of campaign posters available include:

Main Campaign Poster PDF - 29.4 mb)
Tonya Campain Poster (PDF - 4 mb)
Campaign Folder (Poster - 6.5 mb)
Campaign Quick Card (PDF - 6.5 mb)

Additionally, the OMH also has developed a new section on its website: the Capacity Building Division webpage. Here you will find samples of their work along with interactive training and educational materials to assist your organization in growth. http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=66

http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/pillcard/pillcard.htm

The Agency for Health Research and Quality has just released free, online instructions for creating a pill card using only a personal or lap top computer and printer. A pill card can serve as a visual aid for confirming that patients understand how to take the medicines properly and as a reminder to take medicines. AHRQ’s How to Create a Pill Card provides step-by-step instructions for making a pill card. One in four Americans do not take prescription medicines as prescribed. Many people who fail to adhere to medication instructions do so because they do not understand how to take their medicines. Research has shown that using a pill card-which uses pictures and simple phrases to show each medicine, its purpose, how much to take, and when to take it-reduces misunderstandings.