The """"""""Digital Libraries for Frontier Idaho"""""""" will provide health professionals, librarians, and clients with access to high quality digital health information resources via improved Internet and intranet connectivitiy. Doctors, nurses, and other health care providers will be trained to effectively access National Library of Medicine (NLM) databases, including MedLinePlus and PubMed, and other online resources. Two pilot sites, a public library and a community technology center, will provide training and outreach to the general public.The area served is a vast, rugged, 3-county area of north central Idaho with very limited technology infrastructure. The Digital Libraries for Froniter Idaho project has three major objectives and methods to reach them: 1. Provide access to current, high quality Intemet-based health information and library resources for rural physicians, allied health professionals, and managerial staff at St. Mary's Hospital, Clearwater Valley Hospital, their 10 statellite clinics, and for the general public at 2 convenient community access sites. This will be accomplished by connecting the hospitals/clinics to the Wide Area Network of the Benedictine Health System in MN, to provide high quality Intemet access not available, or affordable by more local options. 2. Train health professionals to integrate high-quality Intemet-based information and communication resources, such as NLM databases, into everyday healthcare practice. Using a """"""""train-the-trainer"""""""" model, a full-time trainer will be hired to develop and implement a system-wide technology education program. The trainer will receive intensive training from NLM, BHS and software vendors. This person will assess staff need, devise modules of instruction, and deliver small-group and individualized training to 300 staff members. 3. Inform patients, families and the general public of Internet-based health resources and provide free access in convenient, non-medica_ community sites. To achieve this, the project trainer will train staff from two pilot sites in using MedLinePlus and in assessing the quality of Internet-based health information. Special attention to culturally appropriate delivery methods will be provided by the librarian, an adult education specialist. Representative staff from project sites will develop a local digital health library to be reached via links from the library website and both hospitals' web sites.
