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- Title
Building bridges: towards integrated library and information services for mental health and social care.
- Authors
Blackburn, Norma
- Abstract
Abstract This research focuses on identifying the information needs of health professionals, social workers and staff from voluntary agencies, who work together in the provision of services for people with a mental illness. The aim is to provide a fully integrated library and information service for mental health and social care. A number of recent government reports have prompted this research. These have culminated in the publication of the National Service Framework for Mental Health. It was decided to conduct a qualitative study using 17 semi-structured interviews with individuals and multi-professional groups. A thematic analysis highlighted a number of key themes including: information need, information seeking behaviour and information flows. Results have indicated that because of the dispersed nature of mental health services, across primary and secondary care, and from statutory and non-statutory organisations, information technology is viewed as the only realistic vehicle to provide the required information. As specialist mental health trusts are configured, covering wider geographical areas, this can only increase the reliance on information technology, for information access and information sharing.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; LIBRARY science; MENTAL health services
- Publication
Health Information & Libraries Journal, 2001, Vol 18, Issue 4, p203
- ISSN
1471-1834
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1471-1842.2001.00342.x