Hospital-based patient information services: a model for collaboration.

Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, New York, is a 612-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital with 2,500 employees. A close examination of operations at Crouse facilitated the development of a patient education task force that used a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to meet the educational needs of both patients and clinicians. The collaborative process involved all hospital departments. Within eighteen months, patient requests for information rose from 3% to 30% of total requests made at the hospital. Requests were made directly to the library or through a member of the health care team. Hospital staff members were surveyed about information needs and availability, and a library work plan was devised, setting standards of service for a multimedia approach. Work redesign improved the library staff's ability to integrate patient education into daily operations. Cost savings were achieved through the elimination of duplicated resources and services throughout the hospital. The management model developed at Crouse was the result of a needs assessment and a multidisciplinary, collaborative process. The model emphasizes communication links among disciplines rather than physical locations. The Crouse experience validates the development of hospital-based consumer health information services.