Abstract

This study was to elucidate the theoretical backgrounds and realities of consumer health information services from a review of the literature, to manifest the actual conditions of consumer health information services by domestic hospital libraries and public libraries, and then to activate library services at least to meet the needs of the services by enhancing their role for consumer demand for health information. This paper propose to activate consumer health information services, as follows: First, librarians both in hospital and in public libraries cognize that consumer health information services really are needed. Furthermore, they expect that when consumer health information services are implemented, the function of the library would be expanded even to the realm of preventive health medical care for consumers and as well as to the patients' right to know. Second, it is recommended that hospital libraries should actively perform their consumer health information services, along with the active collection of health information and materials and develop related bibliographies for hospital libraries to provide patients and their families with medical information. Public libraries also are required to actively collect, maintain and manage health information and to equip themselves with special books in their reference rooms. Third, it is recommended to launch such a cooperation network with a subsystem of MEDLIS as CHIN or CHIPS in the United States of America, to construct an integrated database of consumer health information and materials, an interlibrary system, a reference room service system as well as a cooperation network among hospital and public libraries.