This is intended as a public letter to Deborah and those in charge of the
National Health Population Clearinghouse Initiative.  I am never sure
whether these letters go where intended.

Deborah rather than answer your questions, I am more concerned to
understand the aims and objectives of the national initiative.   I am very
concerned with the use of the term intermediaries in your questions.  I
have the uneasy feeling that someone believes that a single national
intermediary can replace the multiple channels that currently exist.  A
variety of national, provincial-level and local voluntary organizations
derive much of their support from the role they play in helping people and
groups access, organize and interpret information.  If a single centre uses
the new IT to cut out the "middle men" it will be seriously undermining the
role the voluntary sector plays in developing community responses to
"information", in generating new information, and in interpreting and
making relevant information within the local context.

More than a year and a half ago I wrote a paper under contract for Health
Canada, that, among other things, called for a national consultation on the
role of new information technology in relation to health promotion and
public health.  The issue of the impact of centralizing information
dissemination on the voluntary sector was also raised.  This work somehow
got lost in Health Canada, in fact HC staff even began calling me to find
out where  they could get copies of the paper that was in their hands.  I
am miffed, and I think the inability to keep track of this report should
raise some questions, but the point is we need to have a full discussion of
the new information technology and its implications for public health  and
health promotion.  It can be wonderful or it can be a curse, it depends on
how we put it to work.  SO BEFORE YOU PUT IN PLACE A NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE
LETS TALK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE - THE PLACE OF THE NEW Information
Technology IN THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROMOTION.   Within
this, we can talk about a clearinghouse.  Health Canada could be of great
help by financing a national consultation and conference on this.







Dr. Mike Nelson [log in to unmask]
NHN Consulting Group, Lantzville, BC
(250) 390-1241

----------
> From: Deborah Bradley <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Access and Demand for Health Information
> Date: Friday, October 10, 1997 7:34 AM
>
>
 Hi,
>
> I'm hoping that you can assist me with the task outlined below.
>
> I have been asked to  do a national scan of the current and anticipated
demand for health information and preferred modes of access for consumers
and health intermediaries (e.g., policy makers, educators, researchers,
programmers, media, deliverers of health care).   I am doing this for the
Demand and Access working group working on a project called National Health
Population Clearinghouse (working title) for Health Canada.  Demand and
access is a small piece of a much bigger project looking at providing
credible, timely and accessible health information to Canadians.
>
> I*m hoping that you can help me by taking a few minutes to provide me
with your  observations and thoughts on access and demand for health
information by completing the following  questionnaire or relevant parts of
it.  Of course, the time line is very tight.   I need to have my scan into
the consultant group by October 22.  If any of you would like to discuss
the scan further, please call me at 902-368-6527.  Please return replies to
my address *[log in to unmask]* and not to the list serve.  These are
fairly general questions so please add as much detail as you would like.
Thank you in advance.
>
>
> 1.      Please indicate the organization/institution you work with.
>
> 2.      Please identify which sector you represent:
>
>         __ Government
>         __ Private
>         __ University
>         __ Voluntary Organization
>         __ Partnership (please specify)
>         __ Other (please specify)
>
> 3.  How do health intermediaries currently access health information
(e.g., telephone,  Internet, CD ROM, written material, etc.)?   In your
opinion, which are the preferred modes of access?
>
> 4. In your opinion, are existing modes of access adequate for health
intermediaries?  Why or why not?
>
> 5. What changes do you anticipate taking place in the next 3-5 years with
respect to access to health information for health intermediaries (e.g.,
what modes of access will they use or want to use to obtain health
information)?
>
> 6.  How do consumers currently access health information (e.g., person to
person, telephone,  Internet, CD ROM, written material, television, etc.)?
 In your opinion, which are the preferred modes of access?
>
> 7. In your opinion, are existing modes of access adequate for consumers?
  Why or why not?
>
> 8. What changes do you anticipate taking place in the next 3-5 years re
access to  health information for consumers (e.g., what modes of access
will they use or want to use to obtain health information)?
>
> 9.  Where do health intermediaries currently go to obtain health
information (e.g., libraries, health professionals, health information
centres, etc.)?
>
> 10. Do you think these sources meet health intermediaries* need?  Why or
why not?
>
> 11. Where do you think health intermediaries will want to go to get
information in the future (e.g., next 3-5 years)?
>
> 12.  Where do consumers currently go to obtain health information (e.g.,
libraries, health professionals, health information centres, information
kiosks, etc.)?
>
> 13. Do you think these sources meet consumers* need? Why or why not?
>
> 14. Where do you think consumers will want to go to get information in
the future (e.g., next 3-5 years)?
>
> 15.  Do you anticipate the demand for health information by health
intermediaries and consumers to remain the same, increase or decrease in
the future?  Why?
>
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Deborah Bradley
> Health Information Resource Centre
> 1 Rochford  Street, PO Box 2000
> Charlottetown, PEI
> C1A 7N8
> 902-368-6527 (p)
> 902-368-6524 (f)