Information Literacy And Professionalism

Information Literacy and Professionalism Information literacy is a crucial part of every career and contributes to one's professionalism and skillset. Developing information literacy skills involve acquiring necessary information and applying it according to the situation at hand. Being information literate is especially important in the healthcare field due to the advancements in technology and research that may improve medicine. With these constant changes, healthcare professionals must learn to find relevant information that can be useful and efficient in diagnosis and treatment.

Information Literacy as an Ethical Responsibility I agree that being information literate is an ethical responsibility in every profession, especially with the

Using relevant information and seeking to find better practices and treatments may seem unrealistic at first considering a health professionals' schedule and amount of work. Nevertheless, this can be attained and seem realistic if the health care professional is truly committed to their patient's well-being and quality of life. Health professionals can develop information seeking behavior by accessing "research-based knowledge" resources which in turn will improve quality of care (Marshall, Morgan, Klem, Thompson, & Wells, 2014). I have observed this behavior when I shadowed a primary care physician which goes to show that using both skillsets can be a reality to some healthcare professionals. This physician was well-versed in the tools and resources he had access to and was constantly using them to treat and diagnose his patients. He would research new prescription drugs in order to have a clear understanding of the usage, side effects, dosage, and interactions they may have. He was constantly trying to acquire more knowledge about certain procedures and practices that was relevant to his patient's care. In addition, he would ask his colleagues for their advice and opinion in order to deliver the best quality of care to his patients. In my future career, I would like to develop these skills and put them to

This is especially relevant when I am required to check insurance information for patients in order to see if they are eligible for eye exams and what their copays will be. Firstly, I identify the type of information I need, so I must ask the patient what type of insurance they have and whether they want an eye glasses or contact lenses prescription. I have to do this step, so I can check the patient's eligibility for the appropriate exam through their insurance company. The second step is to identify how I can retrieve this information and I can check a patient's eligibility and benefits through the appropriate online website. Next, I must acquire this information by searching for the member and filling in the required information about the patient until I can locate them. Step four is to evaluate what I have found, and I do this by carefully examining the benefits page and looking to see whether or not the patient is eligible for an exam. Lastly, I must use this information to accomplish my goal which is to check a patient's eligibility and benefits. Once I know that the patient is eligible for their desired exam, I must then calculate the copays that the patient must pay for the exam with the fees listed on the website. After these steps have been completed, I can inform the patient about their insurance eligibility and