New Opportunities for Accessing Health Information in the Twin Tiers
	Training the End User

Web Searching Search engines Medical search engines Metasearch Engines Subject directories Medical directories Search techniques Evaluating Information Issues to Consider Evaluation Checklist Medical Databases PubMed Health Reference ASAP Internet Grateful Med ClinicalTrials Database Descriptions Help Using Databases Document Delivery Interlibrary Loan Loansome Doc DocLine Miscellaneous Tools Current Awareness Electronic Journals Medical Reference Grant Opportunities Training the User Issues to Address Handouts to Use Sample Outlines Glossary Webster Medical Dictionary Other Online Glossaries Bibliography Workshop References Home Back to Workshop Home		Issues to Address
		In preparing to train users in your library, be sure to consider all the following issues:
		Audience ~ Content ~ Format ~ Facilities ~ Staffing ~ Handouts ~ Funding ~ Publicity
		Intended Audience
		Before beginning any planning, it's imperative to know for whom you intend the training, what that audience needs and wants to learn, and what they already know. You may want to set up separate sessions for different groups, e.g. nurses and physicians.
		beginner or experienced? professional, lay person, combination?
		Content
		Outline what you intend to cover and how in-depth you intend the coverage to be. It is probably better to cover one or two things well, than try to cover every possible resource. For example, PubMed could easily be an hour long session of its own.
		Internet searching? PubMed? Internet Grateful Med? MedlinePlus? Medical directories? Which ones?
		Training Format
		Your facilities may determine the type of training you can do, but the ideal is a combination of demonstration and hands-on. Users' experience and staffing may also affect your decision.
		group training or one-on-one? size of group? length of session? number of sessions? hands on? demo only?
		Facilities
		What kind of situation do you have access to that would accommodate training? Convenience for your users may determine the location, even if the setup is less sophisticated. However, a live connection is the best means to teach - canned demos are fairly ineffective.
		room available on site? room available off site for free or charge? computers available? how many? Internet access? projection capability?
		Staffing
		This may be the most important element of a good training program. In a room with more than one computer in use, plan to have a "roamer" to assist individuals while the instructor talks. Be sure the trainer is a good communicator and knows the resources s/he will be teaching.
		who will conduct training? experience of instructor? more than one person available for group hands-on? fees for trainer? training services available through larger agency?
		Handouts
		Printed handouts may or may not be necessary. However, remember that people have different learning styles, and some individuals need the printed matter to best digest the information.
		handouts necessary who will design? who will print or copy? cost?
		Funding
		Good training does not necessarily require lots of money. Staff time may be all that is necessary. One-on-one training can be tremendously effective. Or a handout with Web sites that have tutorials and guides for using online health resources can be very effective.
		funding required? (trainer, printing, Web connection, etc.) budgeted funds? grant? fee-based - library pays? fee-based - participant pays? fee-based - council or system pays?
		Publicity
		A good training program isn't much use if no one knows about it. Be creative about ways to let people know that training is available - use your local resources. Also be aware that success can bring its own problems - how much traffic can your staff and wallet handle?
		flyers? where? newspaper? radio? Internet? tv? cost?
		Handouts to Use
		Any Web page can be used as a handout, though be aware of copyright issues - you may need to contact the creator for permission. Many of the page links in this workshop would be useful handouts. Here are some links to good handouts suitable for printing and giving to users.
		A Guide to Medical Resources on the Internet NLM Fact Sheets Quick Reference Guide to Search Engines Recommended Search Engines and Subject Directories Search Tools Chart
		Sample Guides & Outlines
		The outline for a session will depend upon the format (one on one or group, and length of time). Many online guides can be adapted as an outline for an hour's session or longer. Have sample searches to demonstrate and a range of topics for the participant(s) to try.
		Finding Quality Information on the Internet New York Public Library Health Information on the Internet Workshop: Leader's Outline Patient's Guide Step by Step Searching for Medical Information Ways to find medical information on the Internet Your Health And The Internet
		Online Tutorials & Teaching Aids
		Online tutorials are designed to be self-directing, but they can also be used as guides in a teaching setting.
		HealthInfoQuest MEDLINE Tutorial (PubMed & IGM) NN/LM Training Materials
Funded by the National Library of Medicine through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region. Sponsored by South Central Regional Library Council of New York. Created by Kay Benjamin, August 2000.