National Network of Libraries of Medicine

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Planning and Evaluating Information Outreach Among Minority Communities: Model Development Based on Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest

Quarterly Report, January-March, 1997

Progress to Date

Catherine Burroughs started work part-time as the Evaluation Project Coordinator on January 14, 1997.

February 18, project staff met with Elliot Siegel and Fred Wood, both from NLM, to discuss project direction. This meeting was of great use in further defining the project. Minutes of the meeting have already been submitted to NLM. March 27, C. Burroughs, Neil Rambo, and Nancy Press had a conference call with Zoe Stavri of NLM to tap her expertise in evaluation.

C. Burroughs, N. Rambo, and N. Press meet at least weekly to discuss literature review and project strategies.

Advisors: C. Burroughs, Sherrilynne Fuller, N. Rambo, and N. Press attended a meeting of the tribal representatives to the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, January 14, to report on progress with the project. On January 15, C. Burroughs and N. Rambo met with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Boards Research and Information Technology Committee to discuss the project. N. Rambo met with Dr. Walt Hollow, President of the Association of American Indian Physicians.

Literature review and analysis: C. Burroughs began literature reviews on topics identified as the most relevant to the project: methods used and lessons learned from evaluation of library outreach; information needs of health professionals serving minorities or the underserved; evaluation methodologies for education or information dissemination programs; and evaluation studies of technology transfer and diffusion. Preliminary literature reviews were accomplished during the quarter and work is progressing with examination of the literature uncovered. C. Burroughs has provided pertinent and seminal articles to other project staff.

Evaluation methods and outreach evaluation: Project staff began draft lists of input variables, process variables, and output variables for information outreach to health professionals serving minority communities.

C. Burroughs observed several RML outreach training sessions to minorities or underserved health professional populations.

The regular RML outreach program has been affected by lessons learned from the project; we have experimented with new questions on our usual evaluation forms which pertain to the usefulness of the class information when participants return to their work settings.

Outreach to minority communities: Project staff discussed the possibilities for outreach to Alaskan Native communities with University of Alaska library staff, who currently have an outreach subcontract from the RML. Maryanne Blake, RML Network Librarian, will team-teach with U. of Alaska librarians in May in Alaska and will report to Project staff on parameters of such outreach. M. Blake has also arranged to offer training to Native American health professionals working on a Breast and Cervical Health Program among Native Americans.

Development of the planning and evaluation guide and the continuing education syllabus: Project staff are considering possible formats for these two deliverables, but it is still too early to predict exact content.

Development and testing out outreach and evaluation models: We have made good contacts within communities where we may want to test our models. The models themselves have not yet been formulated.

Problems Encountered

Project staff began making arrangements for an Outreach Evaluation Panel at the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting in Seattle in May. Several potential speakers were not available because of meeting conflicts.

Corrective Action Taken

A potentially excellent list of speakers was finally conscripted for the MLA Outreach Panel: F. Wood, moderator; Karen Wallingford, NLM; C. Burroughs; Judith Bendersky, a librarian who has been instrumental in outreach to Native Alaskans; and Jo Dorsch, University of Illinois, who has written on evaluation of library outreach to rural health professionals.