Table 2 PH Information Need Categories, Examples of Needs and Related Information Source in Two Community Health Bureaus
Information Category | Communicable Disease Control | Community Health Promotion | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Information Need | Source Examples | Information Need | Source Examples |
1. Early reports on newly identified health risks and preventive behaviors | Fast breaking news or alerts re: Asian Bird Flu or West Nile Virus | News media ProMed [54] Epi-X [55] | Emerging risks and newly identified behaviors that reduce chronic disease risk (e.g. physical activity) | News media |
2. Early reports on new practices and programs | Reports on SARS interventions | Conferences, informal networks, listservs | Promising prevention programs at work sites | Conferences, informal networks, listservs |
3. Evaluations of new interventions | Effective STD interventions | STD Advisor (newsletter) | Effective elder health interventions | Conferences, grey literature |
4. Reference Information on health risks and practices | Tuberculosis knowledge synthesis | Medical Reference Books, American thoracic Society [56], CDC [57] | Diabetes knowledge synthesis | Medical Reference Books, American Diabetes Assoc. [58], CDC [59] |
5. Published articles and reviews | Research articles on communicable disease prevention and control | PubMed [23], journal-specific search engines, TB Update [60] | Research articles on chronic disease prevention and control | PubMed [23], journal-specific search engines |
6. Evidence-based guidelines | vaccine safety | Institute of Medicine [61] | Prevention and control of heart disease | AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) [62], National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute [63] |