2008 Woodie Awards
Tap into your free health care info
Karen Collins
Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: News
Nebraskans and students attending UNO from other states are fortunate to have access to free healthcare information resources provided by the university system.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center offers free consumer health information via its McGoogan Library of Medicine. Consumer Health Information Resource Service, or CHIRS (pronounced "cheers"), can be found online at www.unmc.edu/library/consumer.
Teresa Hartman, head of education and associate professor at McGoogan Library of Medicine, describes the role of CHIRS as a "provider of information to assist you after a diagnosis has been made by your physician, or to take with you to a follow-up appointment, or to discuss with your physician prior to a procedure."
The service can also be used to locate facilities and support groups in the local community. The services provided by CHIRS are unique to Nebraska.
"In 2006 and 2007, we visited 150 libraries across Nebraska to provide CHIRS training to public librarians," Hartman said.
The CHIRS staff consists of medical librarians who are health information specialists. They will ask you a series of questions and, based on your answers, will do the research for you and provide you with a tailored package of information that is mailed or e-mailed to you.
This is easier and more reliable than surfing the Web on your own. The staff at CHIRS has experience in tracking down answers from reliable sources.
Another resource may already be in your wallet.
UNO Student Health Services Director Marcia Adler cautions against using a random Web site or database to self-diagnose. She agrees that the CHIRS site provided by UNMC is a good resource because "it is endorsed by a hospital and not by companies that are selling products online."
Students covered by UNO student health insurance, however, should have received insurance cards that include a phone number to the Ask Mayo Clinic 24-Hour Nurse Line.
While this does not take the place of a physician, if you have a question when Student Health Services is closed, you could obtain general health information by calling the number. During business hours, students may call Student Health Services at 554-2374 to make appointments with SHS healthcare providers Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To use CHIRS, speak with your local librarian, send an e-mail to askus@unmc.edu or call McGoogan Library of Medicine at (402) 559-6221 or toll-free outside of Omaha at 1-866-800-5209.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center offers free consumer health information via its McGoogan Library of Medicine. Consumer Health Information Resource Service, or CHIRS (pronounced "cheers"), can be found online at www.unmc.edu/library/consumer.
Teresa Hartman, head of education and associate professor at McGoogan Library of Medicine, describes the role of CHIRS as a "provider of information to assist you after a diagnosis has been made by your physician, or to take with you to a follow-up appointment, or to discuss with your physician prior to a procedure."
The service can also be used to locate facilities and support groups in the local community. The services provided by CHIRS are unique to Nebraska.
"In 2006 and 2007, we visited 150 libraries across Nebraska to provide CHIRS training to public librarians," Hartman said.
The CHIRS staff consists of medical librarians who are health information specialists. They will ask you a series of questions and, based on your answers, will do the research for you and provide you with a tailored package of information that is mailed or e-mailed to you.
This is easier and more reliable than surfing the Web on your own. The staff at CHIRS has experience in tracking down answers from reliable sources.
Another resource may already be in your wallet.
UNO Student Health Services Director Marcia Adler cautions against using a random Web site or database to self-diagnose. She agrees that the CHIRS site provided by UNMC is a good resource because "it is endorsed by a hospital and not by companies that are selling products online."
Students covered by UNO student health insurance, however, should have received insurance cards that include a phone number to the Ask Mayo Clinic 24-Hour Nurse Line.
While this does not take the place of a physician, if you have a question when Student Health Services is closed, you could obtain general health information by calling the number. During business hours, students may call Student Health Services at 554-2374 to make appointments with SHS healthcare providers Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To use CHIRS, speak with your local librarian, send an e-mail to askus@unmc.edu or call McGoogan Library of Medicine at (402) 559-6221 or toll-free outside of Omaha at 1-866-800-5209.
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