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Describes briefly the results of research carried out to look at the provision of health information for consumers on the Channel Island of Guernsey. The research utilized a three‐pronged survey to examine the views of the general public, recent hospital in‐patients and health professionals. These groups were asked to provide their views on the information currently available to them, the sources used and their degree of satisfaction with what was currently available. Respondents were also asked what could be done to improve health information provision on the island. Parallel to this, an independent audit of information sources on the island was carried out. Results establish a baseline on which plans for developing an island‐wide policy can be built. They show that there is a dearth of good information available. Consumers ask for more to be provided by health professionals and provide a number of ideas which can be used by policy makers to develop services. Concludes that current opinion would seem to be that policy makers are using the results to take some encouraging action.

The paper highlights the need for grounding library and information policies within the environment they operate. The purpose of this paper is to argue for the grounding of health library and information policies within the health sector context.

The paper is an opinion piece which discusses the importance of grounding library and information policies in the national health sector strategic plans.

A comprehensive and structural approach to improving access to health information as part of the overall priorities in the health sector requires concrete policies, strategies and services to be put in place at all levels of the national health system.

The paper offers insights into how to influence the formulation and eventual implementation of a national policy for library and information services in the health sector.

It describes the areas in which library and information policies can be used to fulfill the critical roles of supporting the mission of health‐care delivery in the country.

This paper argues that while there have been significant advances in the development of consumer health information services over the past decade, there is no room for complacency as we approach the new millennium. If we are to avoid the dangers of complacency, passivity and superficiality we need to develop new skills. The future consumer health information professional will need to be skilled in creating information products, interpreting information needs and reviewing and synthesizing information to support decision making.

More library and information workers are likely to develop their careers ‘beyond the fringe’ of conventional librarianship. The post of Health Education/Information Officer (HE/IO) within Croydon Health Education Department demonstrates the potential to do so. The HE/IO acts as an information broker. Four main areas of activity are identified: (1) developing the library and information service; (2) meeting the information needs of colleagues; (3) promoting a healthy life‐style; (4) promoting the Health Education Department's services. The library has been reorganised. It is becoming a focus for other organisations seeking advice on handling information. The relevance of online searching is being tested. The creation of the post has enabled colleagues to concentrate on assessment, not retrieval, and has expanded the information dimension of the Department's work. The broker, like other Health Education Officers, undertakes research, liaison, planning, organisation, publicity and teaching. Library displays, reference packs of leaflets and information packs are used to promote health through libraries. Successful information brokerage requires wholehearted commitment to full participation in the work of a team, willingness to adapt and acquire new skills, and flexibility. Librarians and information workers could assume several different roles within Health Education Units.

Discusses the information needs and services of health consumers in Nigeria. The cluster‐quota sampling technique with a questionnaire instrument was used for data collection on 260 subjects out of which 250 responded and their questionnaires were found to be usable for analysis. The study found that there was a significant relationship between the levels of education of the health consumers and sources of information used. Books/reports, medical laboratories, film houses and medical library/records office were rarely used when they were searching for pertinent information on health care services. Also, their specific areas of health information needs and services were found to be health institutions service quality, child and maternal care, drugs administration, and family planning. The available health information systems failed to meet the demands made of them.

The achievement of a primary health care approach calls for professional partnership. Both government and non‐governmental organizations have repackaged information into various formats which are used to transfer health information to the rural communities in the developing world. Highlights some of the formats. Makes suggestions as to how libraries could also contribute to health information transfer to the rural population.

Describes the AccessMichigan Electronic Community Health Information Initiative (AMECHII) which aims to provide state‐wide access to high‐quality, timely, reliable and valid health information for consumers and practitioners, regardless of geographical location or economic status. A formal exploration phase has been completed which was notable for the involvement of experts from every type of library in the state and a variety of health‐care organisations. The next phase will be a strategic planning process, outlined to ultimately result in methods for economic sustainability and a new paradigm for multi‐type library and health‐care stakeholder collaboration for the acquisition, distribution and use of electronic health information over a wide geographical and culturally diverse area.

Drawing upon social cognitive theory, this study aims to investigate the potential predictors and consequences of social media health-misinformation seeking behavior during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Using a sample of 230 international students studying at Wuhan University and Beijing Language and Cultural University, China, this study employs structural equation modeling to analyze the collected data.

The results indicate that personal factors such as lack of health information literacy, environmental factors, information overload and social media peer influence have a significant effect on behavior, namely social media health-misinformation seeking behavior, which further influences outcomes, namely social media users' anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, both lack of health information literacy and social media peer influence have significant and direct effects on social media users' anxiety. However, the direct effect of information overload on social media users' anxiety is insignificant.

First, this study contributes to the literature on the individuals' social media health-misinformation seeking behavior, its precursors and its consequences, specifically on their mental healthcare during a pandemic situation. Second, this research is one of the pioneer studies that extend social cognitive theory to the context of social media health-misinformation seeking behavior and users' anxiety relationship.

The public health sector in South Korea introduced district health information systems (DHIS) in health centres in the early 1990s. DHIS aimed to help health centres to provide comprehensive health care services and to achieve effective and efficient management of their works. District health information systems are still being implemented in health centres. Information generated and collected through the systems is to be used by local authorities to plan and manage health services in their areas, and further by the central government to make a health plan and health policy at the national level. However, the adoption and implementation of DHIS by health centres does not meet the initial anticipation. Moreover, reasons for that have not been explored yet. This paper presents the development of DHIS for health centres in Korea, evaluates the project focusing on impacts and problems found in implementing the systems, and provides lessons and recommendations for establishing a nationwide health information network.

Discusses the national health information system in Brazil which, until very recently, consisted of two main structures of health services with a dichotomy between curative and preventive health care acting in a vertical manner. The autonomy of health authorities and specialized structures created numerous independent health information systems with different methods of data collection. Although the issues of decentralization and a unified health system had been agreed on in 1963, they had not been implemented until the new health policy reform was lunched in 1988. The reform was based on the strengthening of primary health care at national level and accelerating decentralization of health systems. However, in spite of strong political will the new health managers at local level are lacking essential information, data and instruments that only a decentralized health management information system can provide. Based on a study conducted in the Ceara State of the north east of Brazil, explores how the present health information system can support the process of decentralization.