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Lessons Learned: Reflection on Panel Reports Neil Rambo, Reflector. Public Health Outreach Forum. National Library of Medicine Lister Hill Auditorium Bethesda, Maryland. Assessing Information Needs. Not a one-time exercise Iterative Both parties get better with practice & knowledge
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Lessons Learned: Reflection on Panel ReportsNeil Rambo, Reflector Public Health Outreach Forum National Library of MedicineLister Hill Auditorium Bethesda, Maryland
Assessing Information Needs • Not a one-time exercise • Iterative • Both parties get better with practice & knowledge • Needs related to making choices • Policy formulation • Intervention planning & implementation • Synthesized & filtered knowledge • Needs vary by work group & readiness
Assessing Information Needs, cont. • Local health agencies may be more restrictive than academic environments • Connectivity strategies • Direct funding • Funding opportunities • Technical assistance • “Self serve” model may not be sufficient • E.g., intermediation, circuit rider
Objectives & Outcomes • Objectives follow from assessing needs • If assessment is iterative, objectives need to be modifiable as understanding deepens • Emphasis on technology or training • Identify key players at site • Use them to identify & confirm • Advisors
Objectives etc., cont. • Continued presence & communication • Stay poised to alter course • Outcomes • Raise awareness • Increase access • Affect use & effectiveness • Change in information seeking vs. performance
Web Resources • Variety of techniques to identify relevant resources • Local practitioners oriented toward state health dept. & CDC • Local, local, local! • National/state PH mega-portal (?) • Top-down AND bottom-up content drive
Web Resources, cont. • Consumer health information has a place in public health sites • Need for customized “toolkits” • By work group • By HP2010 objective • Need for integration with core sites
Partnerships • Outreach is service • May be unidirectional • Can establish a relationship • Partnerships require common needs, mutual goals, shared resources • Communication!
Sustainability • Outreach may not be • But it may still be worth doing • Partnership is (by definition) • May require different funding mechanisms
The Basics Are Easy • Understanding the other party • Language • What they think & worry about • Information needs & uses • Meeting them where they are • Technology infrastructure • Information skills
Making It Happen Isn’t • Requires different skills • Communication • Community development • Requires more investment • Staff • Time
Thank You • Discussants and recorders • Planners and organizers • Key NLM staff • Project PIs and workers