Delivery of Information to the Patient Bedside Utilizing Skylight In-Room Television Service

Abstract

This article describes the innovative use of the in-room television system, Skylight, to facilitate delivery of health information to patients in their hospital rooms. Skylight alerts, initiated by patients, result in librarians conducting reference interviews. Delivery of information to nursing stations allows clinical staff to verify and document patient comprehension of the information in the electronic medical record. Results from the initial year are discussed, including topics requested, which are indexed using Medical Subject Headings. This patient-initiated, library-facilitated method of meeting health information needs of patients delivers trustworthy and authoritative disease and treatment information to patients in their hospital rooms.

Keywords:

• access to information
• consumer health information
• empowerment
• health information
• health literacy
• information delivery to bedside
• Medical Subject Headings
• patient-centered care
• patient education
• readability

Notes

© Cynthia Vaughn, Kelsey Leonard, and Sandy Oelschlegel