Creating Ready-Made Health Education Toolkits

The Oakland University William Beaumont OUWB School of Medicine Medical Library and Auburn Hills Public Library established a health literacy educational outreach partnership in August 2018. Since then, the libraries have partnered to plan, offer, and evaluate a series of pilot programs for 86, their parents, and adult library users on various health topics. The programs were developed and implemented by an interdisciplinary team including medical school faculty and staff, medical students, medical librarians, and public librarians. This project seeks to build a sustainable educational program at the Auburn Hills Public Library through the creation of a set of ready-made health education toolkits on various health topics all of which will incorporate National Library of Medicine resources including MedlinePlus, Tox Town, and Household Products Database. These toolkits will include an instructional manual, files, and all supplies needed to offer educational outreach programs focused on improving the local communitys health knowledge and health information-seeking behavior. Three toolkit types will be created: 1 in-person educational activities for preschool and elementary school 86 and their parents; 2 in-person educational activities for 88, including the senior population, that will specifically raise awareness of how to access and use National Library of Medicine resources; and 3 circulating health education kits for parents and their 86 which will promote independent, self-directed learning. The circulating boxes will include educational books, pre-made activities, and educational games in a specific topic area, such as germs, nutrition, and environmental health and will link to relevant National Library of Medicine resources. In order to create the toolkits, funding will cover personnel costs to develop the activities with an instructional designer, epidemiologist, and medical librarians and also purchase the toolkit supplies including technology, books, and educational games. The program will be evaluated several ways including in-person session evaluations, circulation statistics, and facilitator observations.

Project Details

Organization Name

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Organization Type
Academic institution
All of Us
Health sciences library
Project Lead

Stephanie Swanberg

Location
Michigan
Start Date
May 1, 2019
End Date
April 30, 2020
Funding Amount
$19994
Demographics
General Public
Health care Provider
Student, College & Post-grad
Student, K-12
Adults (19-64 yrs.)
Children (0-12 yrs.)
Seniors (65+ yrs.)
Blacks/African Americans
Asians/Asian Americans
Suburban
Behavioral/Social Determinants of Health
Opioids