# Health For All:  Advancing Library-Academic Medical Center Partnerships to Navigate Wellness and Scale Preventive Services Access

> **NIH NIH G08** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $145,455

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Evidence-based preventive services have been shown to be effective in reducing death, disability, and disease
by preventing and/or detecting illnesses and diseases in early stages that are responsive to treatment and
lifestyle changes. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) develops recommendations that are
made available to the public on its website and on apps to support clinicians in advising patients on preventive
medicine services. However, few tools exist for scaling consumer access to crucial USPSTF information and for
enhancing self-efficacy, activation, and connectivity of individuals to primary care. As underutilization of
preventive health services is a contributing factor to health disparities, programs are warranted that reach
underserved populations with accurate and accessible information about appropriate preventive services and
how to access such services. Thus, leveraging Northwestern University’s strong health sciences library nested
in a large academic medical center and a team with a proven track record of community engaged research and
expertise in computer and information technology and implementation science, we propose to engage a user-
centered design process to develop Navigating Wellness, a digital tool for librarians and library patrons that will
augment USPSTF information to enhance the accessibility of up-to-date and tailored, preventive screening and
wellness information to underserved populations. The Navigating Wellness tool seeks to empower library patrons
to consume health information and utilize preventive health services, while equipping librarians with tools to
support health information seeking within public libraries. Iterative prototype development will involve focus
groups, an environmental scan of available community-based resources to enhance direct linkages to healthcare
and social service providers, and key informant interviews among librarians to inform the development of a
supplemental training module applicable across libraries, preventive medical terminology resources, and a portal
for technical support that will connect public librarians with health science librarians at Northwestern. Following
development of the tool, leveraging the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we will
deploy the tool among 10 libraries to evaluate factors influencing implementation and healthcare utilization
outcomes. Pre/post surveys among n=125 library patrons using the tool will assess outcomes related to
preventive services utilization. A survey among n=50 librarians, community organization leaders, and
stakeholders will identify factors influencing the implementation of the Navigating Wellness tool in library settings.
Results will be used to develop a generalizable model for academic medical center – public library partnerships
to sustain and disseminate the tool to other settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10021032
- **Project number:** 5G08LM013188-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MELISSA A. SIMON
- **Activity code:** G08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $145,455
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-19 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10021032

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10021032, Health For All:  Advancing Library-Academic Medical Center Partnerships to Navigate Wellness and Scale Preventive Services Access (5G08LM013188-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10021032. Licensed CC0.

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