Library News

Dynamic Health round-up posts keep you informed about implementation and use of Dynamic Health at Nova Scotia Health. They highlight any new priority projects and events as well as updates to our Workplace Notes and Custom Workplace Skills.

Updates: Workplace Notes, Links in Care Directives

We receive feedback submissions on an ongoing basis through the Suggest an Edit form and through partnerships with departments and teams. This month, the following customizations have been added:

• Minor Edits due to Publisher Updates
  • Performing Tuberculin Skin Testing
• Care Directives (OP3, NS Health Policy Office)
  • Performing a 12-Lead Electrocardiogram on Adults - NSHA CD-EC-105
    • Links to: Performing a 12-Lead Electrocardiogram in Adults
  • Pain Management - NSHA CD-EC-050
    • Replacing:
      • CDHA CC-07-060 Pain Assessment and Documentation
      • CDHA CC-07-091 Emergency Department Pain Protocol
      • SWH 1.24 Administration of Acetaminophen in the ED
      • CBDHA ED 0310 Administration of Acetaminophen Prior to Medical Assessment (DMF)
    • Links to: Assessing Pain in Older Adults, Assessing Pain in Infants to Adolescents
  • Management of Chemical Substance in the Eye of an Adult - NSHA CD-EC-125
    • Replacing:
      • CC-20-070 Treatment of Chemical Substance in the Eye (Medical Directive)
      • 1-120 GASHA Chemical Burns to the Eye
    • Links to: Chemical Burn on the Skin/Eyes, Adult

Focusing Search Results

There's a lot of evidence-based guidance summarized across Dynamic Health’s Topic Sections – from Diseases & Condition summaries to Skills. Remember, only content within the Skills Topic Section can be customized (e.g., through a Workplace Note). Understanding how to Filter Results can help you get the best guidance for your need.

Let’s say you are looking for skills about taking blood pressure in adults:

1. From the main page of Dynamic Health, enter “blood pressure” in the search box (1). Do not choose one of the autosuggestions that populates as you type. Click the spy glass to run the search.
2. To the left of the results page, note the Filter Results (2) column. Under CONTENT TYPE check off Skills . Note the filter is applied immediately, resulting in fewer results.
3. Under PATIENT POPULATION (3), check off Adult.
4. Note that the number of results is reduced further and that the Skills and Adult filters are highlighted at the top (4). Click the X on each filter at the top of the results page to remove them.

Health Promotion in December and Dynamic Health Topics

December 2023 marks the promotion of:

• World AIDS Day - December 1st
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities- - December 3rd
• National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women - December 6th

In recognition of these health promotion events, we encourage you to engage with the curated list of Dynamic Health content below.

If you spot any Skills below that you feel need a Workplace Note, consider being a reviewer! Fill out our Suggest an Edit form with your notes and we will get in touch!

World AIDS Day

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • HIV/AIDS, Adult
  • HIV/AIDS/Pediatric
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Fatigue, Adult
  • Fever, Adult
  • Lymphadenopathy, Adult
• Skills
  • Promoting Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Regimen
  • Administering the WHOQOL-HIV
• Patient Handouts
  • HIV Infection and AIDS
  • HIV Antibody

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)
  • Intellectual Disability, Adult
  • Intellectual Disability, Pediatric
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Hemiplegia
  • Atonic Seizure, Adult
• Skills
  • Helping Patients Cope with Chronic Illness and Disability
  • Communicating With and Counseling Clients With Visual Impairment: Social Work
  • Communicating With and Counseling Clients who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Social Work
• Patient Handouts
  • Intellectual Disability

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

• Disease & Condition Overviews
  • Intimate Partner Violence
• Signs & Symptoms
  • Pelvic Pain, Female
  • Depression, Adult
• Skills
  • Screening for Intimate Partner Violence in Adults
  • Screening and Reporting Abuse for Adults in Ambulatory Care
  • Communicating With Patients Who Are Anxious
• Patient Handouts
  • Intimate Partner Violence - Recognizing Abuse

Dynamic Health Project Team

Amanda Revels
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Western Zone

Leah MacDonald
Professional Practice Leader
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, COVID-19 Response

Katie McLean
Librarian Educator
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Margaret Meier
Policy Lead
Policy Office

Ann Slaunwhite
Library Technician
Interprofessional Practice & Learning, Library Services

Writing in plain language matters. In Canada, it’s reported that nine million people have limited literacy skills, with over half of Canadians reading below a high school level. This is just one of the reasons why it is important to offer additional support to patients and families with easy-to-read, straightforward patient pamphlets. For more information about creating or updating patient pamphlets, please visit the Content Creator Toolkit. Please contact Pamphlets@nshealth.ca with any questions. You can search for pamphlets by title, keyword, or four-digit pamphlet number in the pamphlets catalogue, or view the complete listing of active titles in our Print Code Index.

The following pamphlets were updated or created in November 2023. 

Emergency & Public Health 
WA85-2128 Croup (En français: FF85-2191)
WA85-2047 Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis: Diseases and Vaccines (En français: FF85-2067)
WA85-2048 Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Polio: Diseases and Vaccines (En français: FF85-2068)

French Translations (en français)
FF85-1855 Gastro-entérite virale - Diarrhée et vomissements (English: WC85-1382)
FF85-1127 Votre greffe de rein (English: WQ85-0196)
FF85-1795 Prévention des plaies de pression (ulcères) (English: WE85-1582)
FF85-1126 Bienvenue au QE II (English: WX85-0603; Arabic: AR85-2209)

Gynecology & Reproductive Health
WP85-2134 Breast Pumping to Develop and Keep Up Your Milk Supply - Aberdeen Hospital

Hospitals
WX85-1380 Staying Safe During Your Hospital Stay (En français: FF85-1521)
WX85-2118 Safety Tips for When Your Child is in the Hospital (En français: FF85-2166)

Intensive Care Unit
IC85-1593 Care in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) - QE II Department of Critical Care (3A and 5.2 ICU) (En français: FF85-1666)

Mental Health & Addictions
WM85-1714 Eating Disorders Program - Central Zone

Nephrology
WQ85-2132 The Highly Sensitized Patient Program (HSP) for Kidney Transplant Recipients
WQ85-1469 Oral Irons and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Nutrition & Food
LC85-0563 Swallowing

Palliative Care
WD85-1864 Palliative Care Volunteer Services - Centennial Building, QE II

Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation
WB85-2372 NEW My Physical Activity Record

Respiratory System
WF85-1823 The INSPIRED COPD Outreach Program™ - Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM)

The following pamphlets were archived in November 2023:
WX85-1381 Patients First - Inpatients
FF85-1522 Priorité aux patients : Patients hospitalisés 
NSCCP-0049 Information for Patients with an Abnormal Lung X-ray

If a pamphlet has been archived and is still needed, please let us know as soon as possible and we will work with you to make it available again.

Kendell Fitzgerald

Librarian Educator
Central Zone