Hollander S M, Martin E R
UIC Library of the Health Sciences, College of Medicine at Rockford, Illinois 61107, USA.
Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1999 Jul;87(3):329-36.
The aim of this study was to assess Internet connections and information technology skills of public health workers in the Midwest.
A questionnaire was mailed to 713 local health departments (LHDs) in the ten states of the Greater Midwest Region.
Three hundred forty-four LHDs (48%) responded. Overall, 85% own a computer that would allow Internet access. Half provide Internet access to some or all staff. Of these, two-thirds use e-mail and half search the Web. One-half are linked to the State Health Department, and 30% are linked to other local health departments. Over half use CDC-Wonder; less than 20% search MEDLINE. Two-thirds of the respondents expressed an interest in MEDLINE training, and three-fourths are interested in learning more about the Internet. Sixty-nine percent of respondents planned to enhance electronic communication capacity within the next year.
Public health practitioners need timely, convenient access to information to aid them in improving the health of the American public. A majority of public health departments in the Midwest are technically capable of connecting to the Internet. This technological capability, combined with an expressed desire by public health agencies to have workers become computer literate, suggests an important role for health sciences librarians.
本研究旨在评估美国中西部地区公共卫生工作者的互联网连接情况和信息技术技能。
向大中西部地区十个州的713个地方卫生部门（LHD）邮寄了一份调查问卷。
344个LHD（48%）做出了回应。总体而言，85%拥有可接入互联网的计算机。一半的部门为部分或所有员工提供互联网接入。其中，三分之二使用电子邮件，一半进行网络搜索。一半与州卫生部门有联系，30%与其他地方卫生部门有联系。超过一半使用疾病预防控制中心的Wonder数据库；不到20%搜索医学在线数据库（MEDLINE）。三分之二的受访者表示对MEDLINE培训感兴趣，四分之三对更多了解互联网感兴趣。69%的受访者计划在明年提高电子通信能力。
公共卫生从业者需要及时、便捷地获取信息，以帮助他们改善美国公众的健康状况。中西部地区的大多数公共卫生部门在技术上有能力接入互联网。这种技术能力，再加上公共卫生机构希望工作人员具备计算机知识的明确愿望，表明健康科学图书馆员将发挥重要作用。
