Outreach to Improve Patient Education at South Carolina Free Medical Clinics

Abstract

The University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine (SOM) librarians have partnered with eight free medical clinics in South Carolina to enhance patient education efforts. During these outreach projects, project librarians purchased and installed computers, projectors, screens, LCD monitors, and touch-screen information kiosk equipment in each clinic, conducted MedlinePlus® training sessions with clinic staff, and added links to MedlinePlus on the patient education area of the clinics' websites. As a result, the free medical clinics incorporated MedlinePlus into their patient education classes or used the self-playing tutorials in patient waiting rooms.

KEYWORDS:

• Free medical clinics
• health sciences libraries
• medical libraries
• MedlinePlus
• outreach
• patient education

Acknowledgments

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. N01-LM-6-3502 with the University of Maryland Baltimore.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karen D. McMullen

Karen D. McMullen, MLIS ([email protected]) is Head of Access Services, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, Columbia, SC 29208.

Rozalynd P. McConnaughy

Rozalynd P. McConnaughy, MLIS ([email protected]) is Assistant Director for Education & Outreach, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, Columbia, SC 29208.

Ruth A. Riley

Ruth A. Riley, MS ([email protected]) is Director, Library Services, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Library, Columbia, SC 29208.