Instigating and Influencing Patient Engagement: A Hospital Library’s Contributions to Patient Health and Organizational Success

Abstract

Creatively blending their skills with patient education service delivery can enhance librarians’ value and make them indispensable. Two projects aligned a midwestern library with patient care, organizational efficiency, and improved financial gains: (1) influencing a new hospital’s interactive patient care system selection, through crafting and organizing health-literate content, to bedside staff training for improved patient experience; and (2) integrating librarians in prenatal education for the increasingly “wired” patients of a busy obstetrics clinic. With measurable improvements expected for patients and the bottom line, this example should encourage other librarians to explore similar synergies with their medical counterparts.

KEYWORDS:

• hospital librarians
• interactive patient care
• new roles
• patient education
• patient education librarians
• patient engagement
• patient engagement systems
• patient experience
• prenatal patient education