Health Care Information Literacy: The Role of Librarians

In Nigeria, health information literacy problems have grown as health care providers expect patients to assume more responsibility for their care, but the complexity of reading health information makes it difficult for individuals with low general literacy skills to understand effectively in health care information. This paper examined the roles of librarians in health care information literacy. The findings deduced that librarians are expert in applying criteria to information searches, choosing quality content and teaching users how to assess quality in health care information. Besides, librarians support the efforts of health professionals to be lifelong learners, and facilitate recruitment and retention of health professionals in underserved areas by serving as access points and guides to critical health care information. Finally, there is need for strong relationship between health care providers, public libraries, schools and healthcare association.