Environmental Health and Justice Resources: A Brief Primer
This course is designed to introduce resources to find data and information to support environmental health and justice work. This course will also demonstration three free resources.
Intended Audience
Medical professionals, public health workers, first responders, students, and librarians wanting to help the public health and healthcare community find information on environmental health and justice.
Course Objectives
- Define environmental health and environmental justice.
-
Identify tools to find data about environmental health disparities in your community, including EPA's EJ Mapping Tool and CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking.
- Search Medline Plus to find environmental health information for members of the public.
Length
The length of time for participants to take this course is estimated to be 1 hour.Course Content
The course will cover the following:- Environmental Health and Environmental Justice
- Demonstrations of three databases
- CDC's Environmental Justice Dashboard
- EPA's EJ Screen
- Medline Plus
Competencies
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 1: Data Analytics and Assessment Skills
1.1 Describe factors that affect the health of a community
Domain 4: Health Equity Skills
4.7 Advocates for health equity and social and environmental justice
Domain 6: Public Health Science Skills
6.1 Uses evidence in developing, implementing, evaluating, and improving policies, programs, and services.
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts:
Nora Barnett, Outreach Specialist, Network of the National Library of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region (GMR)
April Wright, Environmental Health Program Specialist, Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 1
Jena Losch, MPH, Communications Team, Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice
Acknowledgements
The following organizations collaborated on the development of this course: Hardin Library University of Iowa; Greater Midwest Region (GMR) Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM); University of Iowa College of Public Health Institute for Public Health Practice (UICPH-IPHP); and Midwestern Public Health Training Center (MPHTC).
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Grant Number 1UG4LM012346-01 with The University of Iowa.
Updated: January 2025
Prescription and Over the Counter Drugs: Supporting Patients with Evidence Based Information
This course is designed to demonstrate how resources for the National Library of Medicine can be used to help the public health and healthcare community find free information on prescription and Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
Intended Audience
Medical professionals, public health workers, first responders, students, and librarians looking to assist the public health and healthcare community find free information on prescription and OTC drugs.
Learning objectives
At the end of this training module, you will be able to:
- Describe some current challenges related to prescription and OTC drug use in the USA using authoritative statistical sources.
- Find information about safety and adverse effects of common drugs and chemicals in lactating mothers using LactMed.
- Retrieve FDA prescription drug labels using DailyMed.
Pre-requisites/Learning Level
No pre-requisites
Competencies addressed
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 6: Public Health Science Skills
6B5. Retrieves evidence (e.g., research findings, case reports, community surveys) from print and electronic sources (e.g., PubMed, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, The World Health Report) to support decision making.
Cost
Free
Modality/format
Online Self-Pace
Length
1 hour
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts
Nora Barnett, Outreach Specialist and Derek Johnson, MLIS, Associate Director
Network of the National Library of Medicine
Greater Midwest Region
Technical requirements
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Speakers
Registration requirements
Register a free account
Creation and/or update
Released February 2021
Dissemination and Disasters: Using Information to Save Lives
This course is designed to demonstrate how resources for the National Library of Medicine can be used to help save lives during disasters.
Intended Audience
First responders, medical professionals, public health workers, emergency preparedness coordinators, students, librarians.
Length
The length of time for participants to take this course is estimated to be one hour.
Course Content
This course will cover:
- Phases of Emergency Management
- Categories of incidents
- CBRNE
- Natural & Man-Made
- Public Health/Infection Disease
- Case Study Examples
- Hurricane and Storm Surges
- Opioids
- Radiological Emergency
- Chemical Spills
You will have the opportunity to watch the simulation and then practice it where you have the chance to apply the knowledge.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Define key terms related to emergency management
- Describe the four phases of emergency planning and
- Analyze situations and determine the best resource to use to find information
Measurable Outcome
At the end of this training, you will be able to apply what you’ve learned in order to know where to find life-saving information when preparing and responding to disasters
Certificate of Completion
A Certificate of Completion is awarded on successful completion of this course. In order to successfully complete this course, you MUST:
Score 70% or higher on the posttest. If you do not receive 70% on the posttest, you may review the material and re-take the posttest.
The completion of this module will offer 1.0 hour of Medical Library Association Continuing Education Credit, and CPH Continuing Education (CPH-CE), more instructions at the completion of this course if you are interested.
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 6: Public Health Sciences Skills
- 6B5. Retrieves evidence (e.g., research findings, case reports, community surveys) from print and electronic sources (e.g., PubMed, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, The World Health Report) to support decision making
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts
Derek Johnson, MLIS
Acknowledgements
The following organizations collaborated on the development of this course: Hardin Library University of Iowa; Greater Midwest Region (GMR) National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM); University of Iowa College of Public Health Institute for Public Health Practice (UICPH-IPHP); and Midwestern Public Health Training Center (MPHTC).
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Grant Number 1UG4LM012346-01 with The University of Iowa.
Serving Diverse Communities: Building Cultural Competence and Humility into the Workplace
The content of this course includes:
- Introductions to culture, cultural competence, cultural humility.
- Resource demonstrations that you can use to help build a more culturally competent and humble workplace.
You will have the opportunity to watch the demo of accessing these resources.
Length
One hour
Intended Audience
Public health professionals and healthcare providers interested working with non-native English speakers that needs to provide access to reliable health information.
Learning objectives
At the end of this training module, you will be able to:
- Define culture, cultural competence, and cultural humility;
- Describe the differences between cultural competence and humility; and
- Utilize three online resources that you can use to help build a more culturally competent and humble workplace.
Pre-requisites/Learning Level
No pre-requisites
Competencies addressed
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 3: Communication Skills
- Cultural Competence: 4A1 – Describes the concept of diversity as it applies to individuals and populations (e.g., language, culture, values, socioeconomic status, geography education, race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, profession, religious affiliation, mental and physical abilities, historical experiences)
Public Health 3.0
- Foundational Infrastructure – Focusing on equity and cultural competence
CEUs Offered
Is offered part of the series, 1.0 hour of MLA CE (Medical Library Association)
Cost
Free
Modality/format
Online Self-Pace
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts
Derek Johnson, MLIS
Technical requirements
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Flash Player
- Speakers
Registration requirements
Register a free account
Creation and/or update
Released August 2018
Serving Diverse Communities: Finding Data on Health Disparities
This course will cover resources that provide information on finding data on health disparities.
- History, definition of health disparities and how health disparities intertwined with the social determinants of health.
- Online resources for accessing data on health disparities
- Scenario Practices
You will have the opportunity to watch the simulation and then practice it where you have the chance to apply the knowledge.
Length
One hour
Intended Audience
Public health professionals and healthcare providers interested working with non-native English speakers that needs to provide access to reliable health information.
Learning objectives
At the end of this training module, you will be able to:
- Discuss health disparities in public health.
- Identify at least three online resources for accessing health disparity data.
- Analyze resources to access data on health disparities.
Pre-requisites/Learning Level
No pre-requisites
Competencies addressed
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 3: Communication Skills
- Analytical/Assessment Skills: 1A2 – Identifies quantitative and qualitative data and information (e.g., vital statistics, electronic health records, transportation patterns, unemployment rates, community input, health equity impact assessments) that can be used for assessing the health of a community.
- Cultural Competence: 4A1 – Describes the concept of diversity as it applies to individuals and populations (e.g., language, culture, values, socioeconomic status, geography education, race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, profession, religious affiliation, mental and physical abilities, historical experiences)
Public Health 3.0
- Foundational Infrastructure – Focusing on equity and cultural competence
CEUs Offered
Is offered part of the series, 1.0 hour of MLA CE (Medical Library Association)
Cost
Free
Modality/format
Online Self-Pace
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts
Derek Johnson, MLIS
Technical requirements
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Flash Player
- Speakers
Registration requirements
Register a free account
Creation and/or update
Released March 2018
Serving Diverse Communities: Accessing Reliable Health Information in Multiple Languages
This course is designed for participants to access reliable health information resources in multiple languages.
Intended Audience
Public health professionals interested in advancing their ability to locate reliable health information. This may include public health nurses, community health workers, academic researchers, policy makers, and epidemiologists.
Length
The length of time for participants to take this course is estimated to be one hour.
Course Content
This course will cover resources that provide reliable health information in multiple languages.
- Data on current population of non-native English speakers in the United States
- Online resources for accessing health information in multiple languages
- Scenario Practices
You will have the opportunity to watch the simulation and then practice it where you have the chance to apply the knowledge.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this training module, you will be able to:
- Describe the current population of non-native English speakers in the United States.
- Identify at least three online resources for accessing health information in multiple languages.
- Analyze resources to access reliable health information in multiple languages.
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 3: Communication Skills
Communication Skills: 3C1 – Ensures that the literacy of populations served (e.g., ability to obtain, interpret, and use health and other information; social media literacy) is reflected in the organization’s policies, programs, and services
Domain 4: Cultural Competence
Cultural Competence: 4B5 – Ensures the diversity of individuals and populations is addressed in policies, programs, and services that affect the health of the community
Public Health 3.0
Foundational Infrastructure – Focusing on equity and cultural competence
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts
Derek Johnson, MLIS
Acknowledgements
The following organizations collaborated on the development of this course: Hardin Library University of Iowa; Greater Midwest Region (GMR) National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM); University of Iowa College of Public Health Institute for Public Health Practice (UICPH-IPHP); and Midwestern Public Health Training Center (MPHTC).
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Grant Number 1UG4LM012346-01 with The University of Iowa.
Online Resources to Support Evidence-Based Practice on Population Health
There are five sections in this course:
- Population Health and Healthy People 2020
- Medline Plus: Supporting the Public With Easy-to-Read Consumer Health Information
- An Introduction to PubMed: Finding Peer-Reviewed and Evidence-Based Public Health Articles Surveillance
- Previewing Ongoing Research With HSRProj
- Scenario Practices
There are review questions and “Try it Yourself” scenario integrated in the module to provide you with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills presented in this module. In addition, section 5 is designed for you to apply the knowledge using the presented scenarios.
Intended Audience
Public health professionals interested in advancing their ability to locate reliable health information. This may include public health nurses, community health workers, academic researchers, policy makers, and epidemiologists.
Learning objectives
At the end of this training module, you will be able to:
- Discuss population health and its relation to Healthy People 2020
- Describe the purpose of MedlinePlus, PubMed, and HSRProj databases
- Identify when to use each database based on the information need
- Perform advanced searching techniques to identify more accurate results
Pre-requisites/Learning Level
No pre-requisites
Competencies addressed
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 1: Analytical/Assessment Skills
- 1A4. Uses information technology in accessing, collecting, analyzing, using, maintaining, and disseminating data and information.
CEUs Offered
1 hour of MLA CE (Medical Library Association)
Cost
Free
Modality/format
Online Self-Pace
Length
1 hour
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts
Derek Johnson, MLIS
Technical requirements
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Flash Player
- Speakers
Registration requirements
Register a free account
Creation and/or update
Released April 2017
Health Literacy: Understanding the Fundamentals
This course is designed to review the fundamentals of Health Literacy including why it’s important, the concept of universal precautions, and best practices. This course will also demonstration several free resources that can help with health literacy.
Intended Audience
Medical professionals, public health workers, first responders, students, and librarians looking to assist the public health and healthcare community find free information on prescription and OTC drugs.
Learning objectives
At the end of this training module, you will be able to:
- Describe personal and organizational health literacy.
- Define universal precautions for health literacy.
- Identify three resources that you can use to address health literacy.
Pre-requisites/Learning Level
No pre-requisites
Competencies addressed
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Domain 6: Public Health Science Skills
-
6B5. Retrieves evidence (e.g., research findings, case reports, community surveys) from print and electronic sources (e.g., PubMed, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, The World Health Report) to support decision making.
Cost
Free
Modality/format
Online Self-Pace
Length
1 hour
Presenter(s) and/or Content Experts
Nora Barnett, Outreach Specialist, Network of the National Library of Medicine Greater Midwest Regional Office. Greater Midwest Region
Technical requirements
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Speakers
Registration requirements
Register a free account
Creation and/or update
Released August 2021