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Using Web 2.0 for Health Information

Edited by Paula Younger and Peter Morgan

About the book
Table of contents
Reviews
About the author

Working together is a particular strength of information professionals in all sectors. In the area of health information in particular, the potential for using the internet for collaborative working is immense. Since it was first formally described in 2004, what is currently known as Web 2.0 has affected every library and information sector.

Web 2.0 has tremendous potential to transform health information delivery still further. Although there have been any individual articles examining Web 2.0 applications and methods of working, and there are many individual examples of best practice, substantive works that synthesise this experience in one volume are rare.

This new book is designed to meet this need, by drawing together international case studies and reflections on using Web 2.0. The book blends practical insights, theory and reflective approaches to offer a cohesive overview of how Web 2.0 is already changing health and medical information work.

Main strands include:

enhancing medical, nursing and health education
information literacy in a health information environment
supporting research
supporting clinical care
developing a service presence using Web 2.0
using social networking to develop an outreach service.

Readership: Although the focus of the book is health information, it would be relevant to anyone who would like to gain an insight into this innovative and cost-effective method of delivering and sharing information. It is equally relevant for those new to Web 2.0, or those with more experience wishing to gain further insight into its application.

PART 1: THE BASICS

1. Health information: an overview - Peter Morgan and Paula Younger

2. Web 2.0 in healthcare information: an overview - Paula Younger

PART 2: WEB 2.0 AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH INFORMATION

3. Emerging technologies in health, medical and nursing education - Patricia Anderson

4. Supporting learners via Web 2.0 - Laura Cobus-Kuo

5. Supporting research - Chris Mavergames

6. Crowdsourcing: the identification of content suitable for the developing world - Jon Brassey

7. Supporting patient needs: an overview of the potential role of Web 2.0 in patient and consumer information - Paula Younger

8. Some ethical and legal considerations in the use of Web 2.0 - Peter Morgan

PART 3: WEB APPLICATIONS IN HEALTH INFORMATION PROVISION: SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

9. Web 2.0 in health libraries - Pip Divall

10. RSS (Really Simple Syndication): helping faculty and residents stay up to date - Thane Chambers, Dale Storie and Sandy Campbell

11. Using mashups in health information provision - Jukka Englund

12. Twitter in a hospital library - Hannah Prince

13. Using Web 2.0 to facilitate staff development - Andrew Booth, Anthea Sutton and Andy Tattersall

PART 4: THE FUTURE

14. Web 3.0 and health librarians: what does the future hold? - Allan Cho and Dean Giustini

15. Conclusion - Paula Younger

"The collaborative potential of innovations such as blogs, wikis and RSS feeds could revolutionise health information. Looking at what has been achieved so far allows us to think about what we can do in the future. This is valuable reading for those who are wondering where there place is in the brave new world of web 2.0."
- Information World Review

Paula Younger is Library Manager, North Somerset Healthcare Library, Weston General Hospital, Weston-super-Mare.

Peter Morgan is Head of Medical & Science Libraries, Medical Library, Cambridge University.

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