Poster Presentation 2 

Session Time: 
Monday, May 24, 2010, 4:15 pm - 5:45 pm 

Poster Board Number: 
23 

Publishing Title: 
Using MedlinePlus for Condition-specific Patient Education in Outpatient Clinics 

Author Block: 
Caryn L. Scoville, Information Services Librarian, J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library; 
Robert Hodge, Professor; Emily Coberly, Assistant Professor; William Steinmann, Professor; 
Adam Cullina, Business Technology Analyst-Expert; Rebecca Chitima-Matsiga, Research 
Assistant; Mayank Mittal, Medical Resident, Internal Medicine; Suzanne Boren, Assistant 
Professor, Health Management and Informatics; J. Wade Davis, Assistant Professor, 
Biostatistics; Bin Ge, Statistician, Medical Research; University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 

Abstract Body: 
Objective: This trial aims to evaluate a standardized process for integrating MedlinePlus health 
information prescriptions into outpatient practice, specifically looking at whether email or paper 
prescriptions are used more frequently by patients. A database-driven website tracks patient usage 
of health information links selected from MedlinePlus. Methods: This randomized trial is being 
conducted in five separate outpatient clinics. Physicians have the option of ordering condition-
specific health information by checking up to three conditions on a paper order form. If a 
condition is selected by the physician, then the patient either receives a paper prescription or an 
email prescription listing the website address, an access code, and a condition to access. Each 
condition page on the database-driven website contains links to a MedlinePlus Health Topic page 
along with three to four other links selected from the MedlinePlus website. Patient usage of the 
health information links on the condition pages is tracked and recorded in a database. An Ask-A-
Librarian feature is also available. In addition, a survey is sent to the patient forty-eight hours 
after they received their prescription to assess satisfaction and functional health literacy.