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Podcasts can be an excellent, convenient way for healthcare providers to stay current on valuable information for their field. Research shows that healthcare podcasts have great potential as tools for continuing education and professional development in the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare information (Kiernan et al., 2023).

Are you interested in listening to healthcare podcasts, but are not sure where to start or which ones to trust? This post is for you!

The following podcasts are from credible content creators, who engage and inform their audiences:

Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) Podcasts

Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham discuss advances and issues at the forefront of Canadian healthcare, including real stories of healthcare professionals and their patients.

• Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music
• We liked: Stepping up: Canadian research in the shadow of cuts in the United States

Surgery 101

Surgery 101 provides brief introductions of surgical topics for medical students, with easily digestible 10- to 20-minute episodes broken into chapters and key points of the topic.

• Produced with the help of the University of Alberta
• Available on LibSyn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify
• We liked: #422: Reflections on Surgical History

The Clinical Problem Solvers: Antiracism in Medicine Series

This podcast series from The Clinical Problem Solvers equips listeners from all healthcare backgrounds with tools to practice antiracism in their everyday practice.

• Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Play
• We liked: Episode 282: Anti-Racism in Medicine Series – Episode 20 – Medical Racism and Indigenous Peoples

Canadian Health Information Podcast

Host Avis Favaro provides in-depth conversations about Canadian healthcare with the people who know it best: those who work on the front lines or behind the scenes, and the patients accessing healthcare. From the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

• Available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music
• Some episodes available in French
• We liked: Nowhere Else to Go: Why Canadians Are Ending Up in Emergency Departments — Shelley Petit and Dr. Howard Ovens

White Coat Black Art with Dr. Brian Goldman

ER doctor Brian Goldman facilitates deep conversations with healthcare professionals and patients to explore what is and is not working in Canada’s healthcare landscape.

• Available through CBC Listen, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music
• We liked: Measles in Canada: Where we’re at and how we got here

The Gritty Nurse Podcast

Canadian nurses Sara Fung and Amie Archibald-Varley tackle the raw realities of working in healthcare through gritty, humorous storytelling. They share experiences and offer stories of hope and resilience while amplifying voices traditionally silenced in healthcare spaces.

• Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube
• We liked: We Need Another Leader: Navigating Difficult Times with Authentic Leadership, Courage and Clarity

Calling All Nurses

A passionate group of newly retired Canadian nurses use their lived experience to help listeners navigate the challenges and opportunities of today’s nursing practice.

• Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast
• We liked: Kent Soltys and Lenora Marcellus: Supporting Early Career Nurses through Collaboration

EyeCan Podcast: Canadian Lens on Ophthalmology

Hosted by Dr. Guillermo Rocha, Dr. Setareh Ziai, Dr. Mona Dagher, and Dr. Hady Saheb, this series examines all aspects of being an ophthalmologist in Canada. The hosts speak with leaders in the field about their lived clinical experiences and explore current techniques and technologies.

• Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast
• From the Canadian Ophthalmological Society
• We liked: EyeCan Season 5, Episode 3 - Ethics in Ophthalmology with guest Dr. Chryssa McAlister

Frankly Speaking About Family Medicine

A weekly podcast series covering newsworthy topics in primary care medicine.

• Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio and more
• We liked: From Diagnosis to Dialogue: Managing Measles in Primary Care

Emergency Medicine Cases

Providing education on emergency medicine for physicians, residents, students, nurses and paramedics.

• Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android
• We liked: Episode 200 - How EM Experts Think: Strategies for Pre-Shift, Arrival Ritual, Staying Focused, Managing Interruptions, Cognitive Load & Negative Emotions, Resuscitation Mindset, Post-Resuscitation Recovery

Evaluating Healthcare Podcasts

How do I know if the information provided in healthcare podcasts is trustworthy and authoritative?

Following and listening to podcasts is an engaging way to learn and stay current, but you need to make sure the information you hear is credible and trustworthy. Whether you’re trying to decide what to listen to, or you’re already actively listening to something, keep these questions in mind:

• Do the authors have clinical credentials?
• Do the guests have relevant clinical credentials or lived experience related to the healthcare topic?
• Is the information evidence-based? Is the information based on results from medical research? Are appropriate study methodologies cited and interpreted? Are references included?
• Is the content recent? Reliable podcast episodes will provide the date the episode was released, so you can ensure you’re not listening to outdated information. Any cited references for the podcast episode should be relevant and up to date.
• What is the overall quality of the information? Are the tone and content unbiased, objective, and balanced? While some podcasts provide entertainment through personal and subjective experiences, any healthcare information presented should be unbiased and evidence-based. Refer to the hosts’ professional credentials and the description of the podcast episode.

If you are ever unsure of the quality of information being presented in a healthcare podcast, feel free to reach out to Library Services staff who are happy to discuss in a one-on-one consultation. Be sure to let us know which healthcare podcasts you enjoy listening to.

Happy listening!

References

Kiernan, M. A., Mitchell, B. G., & Russo, P. L. (2023). The power of podcasts: Exploring the endless possibilities of audio education and information in medicine, healthcare epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology, 3(1), e98. https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.178.

Selena MacDonald

Librarian Educator
Nova Scotia Hospital, Central Zone

October is Health Literacy month, when we take time to recognize the importance of both making the health care system easier to navigate, and ensuring that health information is easy to understand.

Health literacy is both personal and organizational:

Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform their health-related decisions.¹

Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably (and fairly) connect with and enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform individual health-related decisions.¹

This post takes a closer look at organizational health literacy and our role as Nova Scotia Health team members in helping to make our health system easier to navigate.

As Brach (2017) highlighted, “even the most skilled, well-intentioned clinician cannot single-handedly overcome the health literacy barriers people face”.² Indeed, change needs to happen across our health systems and throughout the organization at all levels.

What makes an organization health literate?

Research from the past two decades^{2, 3} has outlined that health literate organizations:

• Have leadership buy-in
• Prioritize health literacy within planning, evaluation, patient safety, and quality improvement efforts
• Provide health literacy supports and follow-up for employees
• Integrate patients and care partners in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health information and services
• Meet the needs of all individuals, including those with low literacy or other barriers
• Utilize health literacy strategies in all communications, particularly in high-risk scenarios (like ensuring informed consent or medication adherence)
• Provide easy access to health information, services, and navigation assistance
• Design and distribute print and digital content that is easy to find, understand, and use

What are the impacts of low organizational health literacy?

Research has shown that low organizational health literacy (organizations that do not follow the principles listed above) can have a negative impact not only on health outcomes, but on the entire health system, including:

• Increased patient frustration and stress⁴
• Decreased patient engagement^{3, 5}
• Decreased patient safety³
• Increased adverse outcomes⁶
• Increased use of health care services^{6, 7}
• Increased health care costs^{6, 7}

It is important that we work together to make real change for our patients and care partners. What can you do within your team to increase health literacy? To learn more about health literacy in health care, register for an upcoming Education and Training session or request a custom session for your colleagues or team.

Read Celebrating Health Literacy Month – Part 2 where we take a look at ways we can increase organizational health literacy within Nova Scotia Health. 

References

1. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2024, October). Healthy People 2030: Health Literacy in Healthy People. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/health-literacy-healthy-people-2030

2. Brach, C. (2017). The Journey to become a health literate organization: A snapshot of health system improvement. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 240, 203–237. https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-790-0-203

3. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2012). Ten attributes of health literate health care organizations. NAM Perspectives, 02(6). https://doi.org/10.31478/201206a

4. Yeh, J., & Ostini, R. (2020). The impact of health literacy environment on patient stress: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 749. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08649-x

5. Koh, H. K., Brach, C., Harris, L. M., & Parchman, M. L. (2013). A Proposed ‘Health Literate Care Model’ Would Constitute A Systems Approach To Improving Patients’ Engagement In Care. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 32(2), 357–367. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2012.1205

6. Lloyd, J. E., Song, H. J., Dennis, S. M., Dunbar, N., Harris, E., & Harris, M. F. (2018). A paucity of strategies for developing health literate organisations: A systematic review. PloS One, 13(4), e0195018. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195018

7. Farmanova, E., Bonneville, L., & Bouchard, L. (2018). Organizational Health Literacy: Review of Theories, Frameworks, Guides, and Implementation Issues. Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing, 55, 46958018757848. https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958018757848

8. Santana, S., Brach, C., Harris, L., Ochiai, E., Blakey, C., Bevington, F., Kleinman, D., & Pronk, N. (2021). Updating Health Literacy for Healthy People 2030: Defining its importance for a new decade in public health. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(Supplement 6), S258. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000001324

Kallen Rutledge

Librarian Educator, Patient Education Pamphlets Lead
Nova Scotia Hospital, Central Zone

Understanding health literacy helps health care providers support a health care system in which all Nova Scotians can understand health information and play an active role in their own health.

What is health literacy?

How we define and understand health literacy has evolved over the past several decades. Most recently, researchers and policy makers have divided health literacy into two parts: personal health literacy and organizational health literacy.

Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform their own health-related decisions and actions.¹

Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably (and fairly) connect with and enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform individual health-related decisions and actions.¹

When health information and our health care systems are difficult to understand:

• Fewer people understand or follow their health care provider’s instructions and guidance ²
• Fewer people use preventative services ³
• Fewer people get vaccinated ^{4, 5}
• More people make mistakes taking (or not taking) their medications ⁶
• More people go to the Emergency Department ⁷
• More people are admitted or re-admitted to the hospital ⁷

Poor health literacy puts patients at risk and increases wait times and costs for our health care system.

All members of the health care team play a role in health literacy:

• Administrative staff are often a patient’s first point of contact, providing patients with key pieces of information to make sure they receive the care they need, such as:
  • appointment information (like where to go, when, and what to bring) using clear and familiar language
  • explaining what will happen next
• If forms are not filled out correctly or patients are lost or confused about where they need to go, appointments may be cancelled or delayed. Missed appointments are often a sign of low health literacy. ⁸
• Key parts of patient-centered care are avoiding jargon and explaining acronyms or medical terms that patients and support persons will hear throughout their care. Clear and familiar language enable patients to fully participate in the care we provide.

This October, become a health literacy ambassador and tell your colleagues just how important it is to use clear communication! Remember to:

- Speak clearly
- Give direct instructions
- Provide plain language materials (like Nova Scotia Health patient education pamphlets) to support your message

Here are a few resources to help you get started:

Communicate Better with Patients
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3z_Jz91JzI

Talking Points about Health Literacy
https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/shareinteract/TellOthers.html

CDC Clear Communication Index
https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf

An Introduction to Health Literacy
https://new.nnlm.gov/guides/intro-health-literacy

Clinical Conversations Training Program
https://www.nnlm.gov/guides/clinical-conversations-training-program

Institute for Healthcare Advancement(IHA)
Your Toolkit - Health Literacy Month

See all references

1. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2023, October). Healthy People 2030: Health Literacy in Healthy People. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/health-literacy-healthy-people-2030

2. Kim, Y.-S., Kim, H. A., Kim, M.-S., Kim, H. S., Kwak, M. J., Chun, J., Hwang, J.-I., & Kim, H. (2020). How to Improve Patient Safety Literacy? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(19), Article 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197308

3. Koh, H. K., Brach, C., Harris, L. M., & Parchman, M. L. (2013). A Proposed ‘Health Literate Care Model’ Would Constitute A Systems Approach To Improving Patients’ Engagement In Care. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 32(2), 357–367. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2012.1205

4. UnitedHealth Group. (2020). Improving health literacy could prevent nearly 1 million hospital visits and save over $25 billion a year. UnitedHealth Group. https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/content/dam/UHG/PDF/About/Health-Literacy-Brief.pdf

5. Hudson, A., & Montelpare, W. J. (2021). Predictors of Vaccine Hesitancy: Implications for COVID-19 Public Health Messaging. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 8054. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158054

6. Yang, Y. (2022). Effects of health literacy competencies on patient-centered care among nurses. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 1172. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08550-w

7. Farmanova, E., Bonneville, L., & Bouchard, L. (2018). Organizational Health Literacy: Review of Theories, Frameworks, Guides, and Implementation Issues. Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing, 55, 46958018757848. https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958018757848

8. Glick, A. F., Brach, C., Yin, H. S., & Dreyer, B. P. (2019). Health Literacy in the Inpatient Setting: Implications for Patient Care and Patient Safety. Pediatric clinics of North America, 66(4), 805–826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2019.03.007

Kendell Fitzgerald

Librarian Educator
Central Zone

Kallen Rutledge

Librarian Educator, Patient Education Pamphlets Lead
Nova Scotia Hospital, Central Zone

Related posts

• Battling the (mis)infodemic: A look at health literacy in Canada
• When it comes to patient education, are some things better left unsaid? A look at writing for readability

Library Services subscribes to many electronic resources. Most of these are aimed at health care professionals to support their practice. However, you may sometimes need consumer health information to supplement the education you provide to patients during their appointments.

Consumer health information is information on health topics such as medical conditions, medications, tests, procedures, and more. The information is presented in an easy-to-read format and is written at a reading level accessible to most of the general public.

It can be difficult to find good consumer health information if you do not know where to look. People will often turn to a search engine like Google. This can be dangerous, as the average person may not be able to distinguish between good information and misinformation. They may also encounter outdated and irrelevant knowledge. As a health care provider, it benefits both you and your patients that you know where to find reputable consumer health information in order to best supplement in-person education.

The following resources for excellent consumer health information are available through Nova Scotia Health Library Services:

Nova Scotia Health patient pamphlets

• More than 1,600 pamphlets in plain language, created by Nova Scotia Health staff and physicians on a myriad of topics
• Available online in PDF format
• Searchable in the Nova Scotia Health library catalogue, the pamphlets Print Code Index, as well as any Nova Scotia public library catalogue

MedlinePlus® (select from Databases A-Z list)

• Includes patient handouts, online tutorials, and videos
• Provides information organized into major areas such as: health topics, drugs and supplements, genetics, medical tests, medical encyclopedia, and healthy recipes
• Information is available in multiple languages. The languages most frequently covered are English and Spanish
• No subscription required, no advertisements

TRIP – Turning Research Into Practice (select from Databases A-Z list)

• Database that compiles consumer health information from a variety of sources (e.g. NHS Choices, Medline Plus, etc.)
• You can search for a topic and filter the search results by 'Patient Information Leaflets'
• No subscription required, no advertisements.
  NOTE While labelled yellow like other paid PRO filters, 'Patient Information Leaflets' is not a paid filter and is free to use.

BMJ Best Practice (select from Databases A-Z list)

• Includes printable patient leaflets in PDF format
• More than 100 pamphlets organized alphabetically
• Not open source, requires Nova Scotia Health affiliation to access, however you can print or download a PDF to send to your patients since your patients will not have access to BMJ Best Practice at home
• No advertisements

eMedicineHealth (select from Databases A-Z list)

• Includes more than 900 articles written by physicians for patients
• Articles are organized by health topics (e.g. allergies, diabetes, etc.) and can also be browsed alphabetically by title
• Open source, includes advertisements

Cochrane Library (select from Databases A-Z list)

• You can search by topic
• Cochrane systematic reviews often include a plain language summary for patients to better understand research relevant to their needs
• Accessible to anyone in Atlantic Canada, no advertisements

If you aren’t able to find information that meets your patients’ needs, the Nova Scotia Health Patient Education Pamphlets team is happy to work with you to create a pamphlet on the topic of your choice. For further information:

• Check out Library Services' Content Creator Toolkit for more information on how to get started
• Register for an online education session about developing patient education materials
• Book a one-on-one consultation with library staff for patient education support
• Send us an email at Pamphlets@nshealth.ca

Vinson Li

Librarian Educator, Patient Education Pamphlets Lead
Yarmouth Regional Hospital, Western Zone

Finding credible consumer health information can be challenging. Many online resources can be misleading or unreliable, especially when it comes to health information.

MedlinePlus® is an online health information resource for patients, and their families and friends. It is a service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world's largest medical library, and part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (MedlinePlus, 2021). MedlinePlus® is an excellent consumer health resource to recommend to patients for credible, trusted information.

MedlinePlus® at a glance

• Information on health topics, such as human genetics, medical tests, medications, dietary supplements, and healthy recipes
• Sourced from more than 1,600 selected organizations
• 40,000 links to authoritative health information in English

(MedlinePlus, 2021)

Features

MedlinePlus® is easy to navigate! 

1. Use the category tabs located at the top of the page.

Categories include:

• Health Topics — Find alphabetically listed health conditions, symptoms, and treatments.
• Drugs & Supplements — Browse by generic or brand name. Find information on herbs, supplements, prescription drugs, and more.
• Genetics — Learn about genetic conditions and how to understand your own genetics.
• Medical Tests — Browse a list of alphabetically arranged medical tests a doctor may order.
• Videos & Tools — Find health-related videos and tools on anatomy, medical procedures, and more.

2. If you know what information you are looking for, simply type your specific terms (for example, ‘knee pain’) into the ‘Search MedlinePlus’ search bar located in the top right corner and click on ‘Go.’ You can refine your results by Type and Format. Formats include PDFs, images, and videos.
3. MedlinePlus® supplies trusted COVID-19 information. At the top of each page, under the category tabs, there is a pink alert box. Search COVID-19 information by:

• Latest public health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Latest research information from NIH
• More information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Tips for evaluating consumer health information

When appraising consumer health information, it is important to keep these things in mind:

• Credibility — Who or what is the source? How current and relevant is the information?
• Content — Is the content accurate and complete?
• Disclosure — Is the data source cited?
• Links — Are there links to other credible information sources to verify the content?
• Design — Is the website easy to navigate? Does the information flow logically?
• Interactivity — Is contact information provided, with feedback options?

(Dalhousie Libraries, 2021)

Use this checklist when searching for health information online.

MedlinePlus® is a trusted consumer health information resource for health professionals and patients. Be sure to subscribe to the My MedlinePlus® Weekly Newsletter to stay connected to new and emerging information. For more guidance and tips on MedlinePlus®, check out the Using MedlinePlus® page. If you have questions, please reach out to Library Services.

References

Dalhousie Libraries. (2021). Evaluation of Health Information on the Web. Retrieved from https://dal.ca.libguides.com/c.php?g=257155

MedlinePlus. (2021). Trusted Health Information for You. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/

Amanda Andrews

Librarian Educator
Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Eastern Zone