PITT TO OFFER MINORITY HEALTH CARE INFORMATION INITIATIVE

PITTSBURGH, Mar. 20 -- The Department of Library and Information Science in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh has received a grant from the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield health care system to create the "Highmark Minority Health Link"--a comprehensive information system for minority health care consumers.

The project's twin objectives include the creation of a minority health information website and the education of a generation of minority health information specialists. This effort will produce a system that ensures targeted minority communities have access to the website and the necessary training in the use of the site. Graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh, working with faculty members on the Highmark team, will create a tool that links area minority health care consumers with the health care resources best able to meet their needs, including directories of minority health care providers in the Pittsburgh area.

The goal of training minority health information specialists will focus on students earning a master's degree as part of the project, while specializing in the identification, organization and dissemination of relevant health care information.

 Project Director Ellen Detlefsen, associate professor in Pitt's Department of Library and Information Science, will work closely with Nancy Washington, assistant to the chancellor for minority affairs at Pitt, an advisory committee of area professionals and the community relations office at Highmark. "This is a partnership with Highmark, using their health care information website at the beginning to increase resources so that minorities can access more and better health care information," said Detlefsen.

"There is plenty of health related information available on the Internet; take breast cancer for example," said Detlefsen. "However, most of it is not geared towards the African-American community, where research shows that black women are diagnosed with breast cancer later, seek treatment later, and die earlier from the disease. With the Highmark Minority Health Care Information Initiative we want to deal in an informational way with both the health problems specific to minorities, such as sickle cell anemia, but also with more common illnesses from an African-American or minority perspective."

A three-year grant provides $170,000 for the next two years, at the end of two years the program will be evaluated to determine the funding levels for the third year. The grant will specifically fund master's degree candidates who also serve as staff for the project.

"This collaboration represents Highmark's continuing commitment, not just to health information, but more importantly, access to quality health care," said Aaron Walton, vice president of community relations at Highmark. "During program implementation, we will reach out to other health care professionals in a partnering effort to improve health outcomes in the African-American community."

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