NN/LM Dragonfly: Computer Health Literacy for Seniors in Northern Idaho

[NNLM PNR]

Focus on Funding Series.
Part II: Computer Health Literacy for Seniors in Northern Idaho

by Gail Kouame
Consumer Health Coordinator, NN/LM PNR

This is the second in a series of articles highlighting five projects in
the Pacific Northwest Region emphasizing Access to Electronic Health
Information. The projects received funding from the National Library of
Medicine (NLM) with a maximum award of $40,000. For further information
about funding opportunities, visit our web site at:
http://nnlm.gov/pnr/funding.

Computer Health Literacy for Seniors in Northern Idaho

The sponsoring agency for this project is the Kootenai Medical Center
(KMC) Library in Coeur dAlene, Idaho. In Kootenai County, the primary
users of healthcare are senior citizens. They are also frequent patrons of
the DeArmond Consumer Health Library at the Kootenai Medical Center.

The purpose of the Computer Health Literacy for Seniors project is to
improve access to electronic health information resources by senior
citizens living in northern Idaho. The DeArmond Consumer Health Library
currently provides access to health information resources for the five
northern counties of Idaho. The goals of this project are to:

    * Assess the health and computer literacy of senior citizens in
Kootenai County, Idaho.
    * Evaluate and improve the patient instructions used for diagnoses
that are often seen in elderly patients at KMC to ensure that there is a
good match between the literacy levels of the community and the teaching
materials.
    * Evaluate the current KMC website for ease of use by senior citizens
and to use suggestions to create a "senior friendly" webpage incorporating
appropriate support and self-care instructions for common sites such as
MedlinePlus and Medicare.gov.
    * Improve the health and computer training opportunities and Internet
access at participating senior centers.
    * Promote the use of the "senior friendly" webpage, including
MedlinePlus, at community events.

Project partners include the Lake City Senior Center in Coeur dAlene, the
Post Falls Senior Center in Post Falls, the Rathdrum Senior Center in
Rathdrum, and the Senior Striders. To find out more about the DeArmond
Consumer Health library, you can visit their web site at:
http://www.kmc.org/Services/dearmondlibrary.htm

Dragonfly, Spring 2003- Volume 34 Number 2
(posted on PNRNews on April 8, 2003)

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Dragonfly is the newsletter of the National Network of Libraries of
Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region. Produced by NN/LM PNR, under NLM
Contract N01-LM-1-3516.  Maryanne Blake, Editor, blakema at u.washington.edu.
Michael Boer, Publication Manager, boerm at u.washington.edu.  Dragonfly
is transmitted by e-mail via HLIB-NW and PNRNews.

This and all Dragonfly articles are best viewed on the World Wide Web at:
        http://nnlm.gov/pnr/news/

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