Health literacy training with public libraries

Organisation: York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Contact name: Jan Godwin

Contact email: [email protected]

Date completed: September 2020, updated September 2022

Short summary of the initiative/project

As part of our Health Information Week 2020 initiative we contacted North Yorkshire and also York City public libraries (York Explore) to reopen dialogue about joint patient information work and health literacy training and resources.

How did you get started?  Any tips to share?

Use existing contacts. Try to telephone initially or email if you can’t get hold of anyone able to make decisions.

As part of a general email about possible collaborations during HIW we said:

“We are also running some online training sessions during the week. On Thursday 9th July, from 1pm-2pm, we’re running a Health Literacy Awareness session via WebEx software.

This session aims to raise awareness of health literacy issues and gives practical tips as to how we, as communicators of health information, can help overcome barriers to understanding and use of health information, and our services.

If you or any of your colleagues would be interested in attending this training session, or in organising a separate session on this topic for your staff to attend, we’d love to have you along!”

Send follow up emails if no reply. Send email invite with joining instructions for WebEx etc

Who did you work with?

The Reader Development Librarian at York Explore – public library service - took up our offer. No responses from North Yorkshire to this initial invitation.

What happened? 

One member of professional Library staff from York Explore took part alongside our own Trust library staff. This meant we were able to orientate the materials and delivery to library staff and ask What Next questions relating to actions in our own services and also future collaboration.

We used Kahoot to ask a few simple questions during the presentation and afterwards to check/consolidate learning. This also ensured an element of interactivity. We also unmuted everyone for more general discussion.

We had good feedback immediately after the session and we all expressed plans to build a closer working relationship as things start to get back to ‘normal’.

Interest was expressed in looking at similar HL awareness sessions and also in developing a short session on “chunk and check” and “teach back” methods for public  library staff and volunteers, as well as more on finding good sources of health information.

We heard about the York Explore Health and Wellbeing web site and submitted ideas for resources which might be included.

What next?

We got back in touch with both York City and North Yorkshire to see whether we could build on these initial ideas.

2021

• No responses from York libraries to invitations for HIW activities but more positive response from North Yorkshire – perhaps we need to check on change of personnel at York City or go there in person?

However we were able to take forward our working relationship with North Yorkshire libraries:

• 3 members of N Yorks public library staff attended ‘How to Find Patient Information’ – a 20 minute bespoke presentation designed in house as part of our 2021 HIW QUEST training programme (Quick Usable Easy Skills Training).  Favourable feedback received.
• 4 members of N Yorks public library staff attended ‘Health Literacy Awareness’ (RSPH one hour accredited delivered online )  Favourable feedback received and range of possible joint working activities discussed

2022

• Bid for joint HL/digital literacy project in collaboration with North Yorks is successful

Trusted health information sources session delivered in-person to public library staff at Selby library (N. Yorks) as part of our HIW programme