Eight Scottish public libraries are taking part in a groundbreaking new project highlighting the role of libraries in Realistic Medicine.
The services – Angusalive, East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture, East Lothian Council, East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, Falkirk Council, Glasgow Life, Inverclyde Council and Stirling Council – have been working with the NHS Scotland Right Decision Service Team within NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland to create a Realistic Medicine Toolkit for Public Libraries.
Realistic Medicine is a modern healthcare approach which focuses on shared decision-making. It operates on four core pillars – Shared Decision Making, Personalised Care, Reducing Harm and Waste, and Managing Risk. As cultural institutions with a key role in enabling health and wellbeing in their communities, libraries are perfectly placed to help with Shared Decision Making and Personalised Care.
The new online toolkit – which launches at the end of the month – will help Scottish public library staff support the public in understanding and taking part in Realistic Medicine. This will empower citizens in engaging in shared decision making about their health.
Knowledge Management Consultant Federica Bianchini from the NHS Scotland Right Decision Service has been working with the selected services on the project.
She said: “Public library services are well positioned to empower patients and citizens to participate more actively as partners in health and wellbeing decisions and help them reflect on the options that are available to them. The online toolkit will help library staff support the public and signpost them to information and services using the resources available.
“People can then make decisions and access things like the Being a partner in my care Toolkit, the NHS Near Me service, and consult trusted websites like NHS Inform. The Toolkit is also an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the role of libraries in Realistic Medicine, that libraries are the go-to place for information and support in this area.”
Over the last few months, the project group has been working on the platform – giving feedback on functionality and different sections of the site.
Libraries as Partners
Areas covered on the online platform also include: Understanding Realistic Medicine, Public Libraries as Partners in Realistic Medicine, Health Literacy and Avoiding Misinformation, Managing Boundaries, Resources and implantation plan, and Marketing Material and Case Studies.
Federica said: “Many library services already help members of the public as much as they can with health concerns by signposting to relevant websites, books and local health campaigns. The online Toolkit provides key information and actionable steps to help library services put these concepts into practice as well as aligning it with Forward: Scotland’s Public Library Strategy 2021-2025.
“Through feedback we have also developed things like downloadable marketing materials and a pre-filled, practical fillable implementation plan that each service can tailor to their priorities, making it as easy as possible to integrate into services.”
She added: “Libraries offer so much and I’ve been working with clinicians to help them understand all the opportunities they represent. They are our partners in the delivery of Realistic Medicine and there is so much potential in this partnership.”
Over the next few months, it is hoped more public library services throughout Scotland will embrace the Realistic Medicine Toolkit and expand the current offer.
- If you would like to find out more about the Realistic Medicine Public Libraries Toolkit, or are interested in training, you can visit the website or email his@decisionsupport@nhs.scot
