By Kerry Smith
Illustration by Malcolm Garris/PhotoDisc
May 5, 1998

Often the best weapon to combat fear is information. When patients get the life-shattering news that they have been stricken with a disease, fear of the unknown can be as bad as the illness itself. For many patients and their loved ones, accessible and understandable information is a source of great comfort.

Resource libraries—collections usually found in healthcare facilities—offer patients, family members, and healthcare professionals instant access, both online and in print, to the latest information on diseases, chronic conditions, and general health topics. In Texas, these libraries are plentiful and range from a single room in a hospital to sophisticated collections that span several floors.

What each resource library has in common is a staff that can direct patients and families to information appropriate to each situation.

Taking them as they come

"We’ve tried to create a comfortable, warm environment where patients and their families can read in a peaceful setting and calm their fears," said Nancy Brown, RN, chairperson of the library committee at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston. "Our audience is usually the families of patients, because often the patients themselves do not have the strength at that initial time to do research on their condition."

St. Luke’s patient-visitor library has been operating nearly four years. Thanks to recent donations from organizations such as the Texas Heart Institute, St. Luke’s library collection has grown from 78 books to 408. Patients can take home pamphlets on topics such as mental health or nutrition, or watch a video in the library.

"It’s our goal to be able to treat each visitor individually, to take whatever time they’re able to spare, and to help them find the best, most clearly written information possible," Brown said.

Information for the long haul

The 1,100-square-foot health services library at Harris Methodist Fort Worth is available to patients as well as healthcare professionals. The library functions as a system library for Texas Health Resources, a statewide nonprofit information network. With more than 2,700 resource items including books, journals, and videotapes, the library is used mostly by Harris Methodist’s physicians. "But patients also come here for helpful information on a variety of topics they’re facing in a personal way," said public services librarian Janice Johnstone.

Johnstone said many library users come through referrals from the hospital’s nursing staff. The search for information on diseases is perhaps the most common reason patients and loved ones visit Harris Methodist’s facility. For example, "a lady recently came to see us and gather information on spinal cord injuries because her fiance was just in a car accident and, as a result, is now a paraplegic," Johnstone said. "She’s just starting to grasp what this all means and wants to use the information that’s out there to try and overcome the fear of what’s to come."

But not everyone wants information right away, and it’s important to respect individuals’ needs, Brown said. "Some patients and family members just aren’t ready to learn about their diagnosis or situation," she said. "But we stand ready to help them whenever they’re ready."

And people’s needs change, too. "Our regular library users grow with us over time, and their need for more detailed information deepens as does their level of knowledge of the disease," Johnstone said. "One of our patients whose wife was diagnosed with colon cancer two years ago has been coming to us ever since. At this point, he is looking for information on molecular medicine and oncology."

Books aren’t everything

Printed materials are one way to find information, but in an increasingly wired world, libraries rely on computers as well. The Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library spans three floors, covers 70,000 square feet, and has a staff of 21. For patients and their families, however, an Internet connection is often the most popular resource there and at other libraries.

Medline, an Internet-based resource, is a popular information destination at the Texas Medical Center Library. "We’ve tried to provide as many practical links to our Web site as possible to save physicians and patients time as they seek relevant medical information," said librarian Damon Camille. "In many cases, users can consult our Web page and find a link by particular topic such as cancer."

The library was founded in 1949 and is one of eight regional medical libraries connected to the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. It caters to a five-state region covering Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

Whether they provide books, videos, pamphlets, or a link to the Internet, health libraries have a common mission. "We’re gratified to be able to help patients understand what’s going on with them in an in-depth way and to become more involved in their own medical care," Camille said.