Improving information access for public health professionals.
Fundamental to our protection against biological weapons and the detection of disease outbreaks is the need to strengthen our surveillance systems. Improved electronic communications between local, state, and federal public health agencies provide a way for health officials to share information on unusual disease outbreaks and provide important health alert information. This article describes a model of a partnership between a regional medical library of the National Library of Medicine, a school of public health, and federally qualified community health centers. This project upgraded technology and provided public health professional training on Internet information and resources for local public health agencies.
Telleen
Sharon
S
Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. telleen@uic.edu
Martin
Elaine
E
D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods*; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D020407:Internet; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007993:Libraries, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009317:National Library of Medicine (U.S.) / Q000458:organization & administration*; D040442:Public Health Informatics; D012581:Schools, Public Health / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States