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 They may also encounter outdated and irrelevant knowledge.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
UPDATED: December 2023. Original Post: May 2023
Now for the good news! Physicians affiliated with Nova Scotia Health, can continue to access the same clinical tools through the provincial Library Services' website, using their Nova Scotia Health username and network password.
When do the CMA tools expire?
Refer to the table below for specific expiry dates per clinical tool. Bookmark the links in the right-hand column of the table so that you can connect with support services and clinical tools available through Nova Scotia Health’s Library Services team.
CMA Clinical
Tool
Nova Scotia Health?
For Nova Scotia Health staff and physicians:
InfoPratique
No
CPS
DynaMed
No
Try Point-of-Care Tools used at Nova Scotia Health such as:
ClinicalKey
Yes
Databases A-Z: ClinicalKey
CPG Infobase
No
CPG Infobase is discontinued as of Dec 4, 2023
Essential
Evidence Plus
Yes
Databases A-Z: Essential Evidence Plus
POEMs
Yes
Access through Essential Evidence Plus, along with AHFS DI® ESSENTIALS™
Still have questions about what all of this means for CMA members?
Read on as we answer basic questions that you may have about accessing clinical tools through Nova Scotia Health’s Library Services:
Q: Is everything available remotely?
A: Just about!
Q: Can I access everything with one login?
A: Yes! Log in with your Nova Scotia Health username and password. From there, you may need to create a free personal account to access some resources (such as ClinicalKey).
Q: What if I need help? Who can I contact? Do you offer in-person help and/or help by phone or virtually?
A: The Library Services team is here to help you!
We look forward to connecting with you to support your research and clinical support needs.
Library Staff
Nova Scotia Health Library Services