title: The Latin American Social Medicine database.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Public health practitioners and researchers for many years have been attempting to understand more clearly the links between social conditions and the health of populations. Until recently, most public health professionals in English-speaking countries were unaware that their colleagues in Latin America had developed an entire field of inquiry and practice devoted to making these links more clearly understood. The Latin American Social Medicine (LASM) database finally bridges this previous gap.
  
  
  METHODS
  This public health informatics case study describes the key features of a unique information resource intended to improve access to LASM literature and to augment understanding about the social determinants of health. This case study includes both quantitative and qualitative evaluation data. Currently the LASM database at The University of New Mexico http://hsc.unm.edu/lasm brings important information, originally known mostly within professional networks located in Latin American countries to public health professionals worldwide via the Internet. The LASM database uses Spanish, Portuguese, and English language trilingual, structured abstracts to summarize classic and contemporary works.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This database provides helpful information for public health professionals on the social determinants of health and expands access to LASM.
authors.affiliation: The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, MSC09 5100, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, USA. jeldredge@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Eldredge
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waitzkin
authors.forename: Holly S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.forename: Janis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Teal
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iriart
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tregear
mesh_terms: D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007391:International Cooperation; D007802:Language; D007843:Latin America; D009317:National Library of Medicine (U.S.); D009516:New Mexico; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D040442:Public Health Informatics; D012936:Social Medicine; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities