A Hospital-Based Patient and Family Education Center: If You Build It, Will They Come?

Abstract

Librarians located in a 560-bed, inner city academic medical center with 25,000 + admissions per year planned and opened a Patient and Family Education Center (PFEC) in the lobby of a new patient care pavilion. A review of use in the first 19 months revealed that expected needs were being met while a variety of unexpected needs were identified. Ongoing use continues to be monitored by a detailed log of patron visits maintained by library staff. This article describes the evolution of the Patient and Family Education Center, outreach to the hospital community, and plans for the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Consumer health information
• hospital libraries
• patient-centered care

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nancy Calabretta

Nancy Calabretta, MS, MEd ([email protected]) is Reference Librarian, UMDNJ Camden Campus Library, Cooper University Hospital, One Cooper Plaza, Camden, NJ 08103.

Susan Cavanaugh

Susan Cavanaugh, MS, MPH ([email protected]) is EBM Librarian, UMDNJ Camden Campus Library, Cooper University Hospital, One Cooper Plaza, Camden, NJ 08103.

Marita Malone

Marita Malone, MS ([email protected]) is Reference Librarian, UMDNJ Camden Campus Library, Cooper University Hospital, One Cooper Plaza, Camden, NJ 08103.

Betty Jean Swartz

Betty Jean Swartz, MS ([email protected]) is Information Management Librarian, UMDNJ Camden Campus Library, Cooper University Hospital, One Cooper Plaza, Camden, NJ 08103.