This document discusses health information literacy and resources for vulnerable populations. It defines health literacy and finds that only 12% of adults have proficient health literacy. Vulnerable populations with lower health literacy include older adults, low-income individuals, immigrants, and minority racial and ethnic groups. The document provides an overview of online health resources available in multiple languages from sources like MedlinePlus, the CDC, NIH, and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. These resources can help improve access to health information for culturally diverse and minority communities.

1. Diversity not Disparities:
Health Information Literacy and Your Community
Rachel Vukas, MLS
Kansas/Technology Coordinator
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental
Region
A.R. Dykes Library - University of Kansas Medical Center

2. What is Health Literacy?
 Ability to obtain health
information
 Ability to understand it
 Ability to use it to make good
decisions about health and
medical care

3. Health Information Literacy
 12% of adults have proficient health
literacy
 14% have below basic health literacy
– Report poor health (42%)
– Lack health insurance (28%)
– Higher rate of hospitalization
– Less use of preventive services

4. Vulnerable Populations
 Older Adults
 Low income
 Immigrant Poplulations
 Minority Populations

5. Vulnerable Populations
 Immigrant Populations
– Adults who spoke a language other than
English before starting school
 Minority Populations Below Basic Level
– 41% Hispanics
– 25% American Indians & Native
Alaskans
– 24% Blacks
– 13% Asians

6. Online Resources
 For and about minority populations
 Available in multiple languages
 Produced by NLM & NIH

9. Objectives
 An increased awareness of
online health resources in
multiple languages
 An increased knowledge of
appropriate free online health
resources to recommend to
culturally diverse and minority
clients

10. MedlinePlus
 MedlinePlus.gov medlineplus.gov
 MedlinePlus en español medlineplus.gov/spanish

11. MedlinePlus Health Topics: Demographic Groups:
Population Groups
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/populationgroups.html
African American Health
Asian American Health
Hispanic American Health
Native American Health

12. Topic Page – African American Health

14. MedlinePlus in Multiple Languages
 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/

17. How to get there
 On Medlineplus.gov
homepage
 Scroll down to very
bottom of page
 Lower right hand side

18. Specialized Information Services: Outreach Activities and Resources
 http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach.html

19. Office of Minority Health
 http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/
– African American
– American Indian/Alaska Native
– Asian American
– Hispanics/Lations
– Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders

21. Hispanic American Health
 Medlineplus.gov/spanish
 Alzheimer’s Association
http://www.alz.org/espanol/

22. Hispanic American Health - 2
 http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
 http://healthfinder.gov/espanol/
 http://www.hispanichealth.org/
 http://www.womenshealth.gov/espanol/
 http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/

23. http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/

24. http://www.hispanichealth.org/

25. Asian American Health
 http://asianamericanhealth.nlm.nih.gov/
 http://www.cancer.org/apicem/
 http://www.library.tufts.edu/hsl/spiral/
 http://www.apiahf.org/
 http
://www.womenshealth.gov/minority-health/
– Has 2 groups
• Asian Americans
• Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders

28. African American Health
 http://www.alz.org/africanamerican/
 http://www.womenshealth.gov/minority-health/african- http://journeytowellness.com/
 http://http://www.bwhi.org/

33. Native populations Health
 http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/
 http://www.arctichealth.org/
 http://www.ihs.gov/
 http://www.womenshealth.gov/minority-health/ http://nnaapc.org/
 http://natamcancer.org/
 http://oneskycenter.org/

37. Refugee Resources & Multiple
Languages
 Refugee Health Information Network – 90+ languages.
Formats include print, audio and video.
http://www.rhin.org/
 New Americans Health Information Portal – 20 +
languages, formats include audio, multimedia, podcasts
and video.
http://palantir.lib.uic.edu/nahip/
 Health Information Translations – 19 languages,
including ASL. Formats include print, audio and video.
https://www.healthinfotranslations.org/
 EthnoMed – 10 languages. Strong in SE Asian and E.
African languages. Primarily print
 http://ethnomed.org/patient-education

38. Pt. 2
 DeafMD – disease and illness information from the
CDC and NIH translated into American Sign Language
http://www.deafmd.org/
 Vaccine Immunization Statements from the CDC – 28
languages about 14 diseases. Click on “language
index”
http://www.immunize.org/vis/
 National Network of Libraries of Medicine - Consumer
Health information in multiple languages
http://nnlm.gov/outreach/consumer/multi.html

39. Specific topic information
 Special Populations: Emergency and Disaster
Preparedness
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach/specialpopulations
anddisasters.html
 Multicultural Resources
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach/multicultural.html
 Womens Health
http://www.womenshealth.gov/minority-health/

40. National Network of Libraries of
Medicine MidContinental Region
 Bringing Health Information to the
Community
http://nnlm.gov/bhic/
– Look for “minority health concerns”

41. Thank You
 Slides available on Slideshare.net
 Rachel Vukas
 rvukas@kumc.edu