Introduction: Biomedical scientists need to choose among hundreds of publicly available bioinformatics applications, tools and databases. Librarian challenges include raising awareness to valuable resources, as well as providing support in finding and evaluating specific resources. Our objective is to implement an education program in bioinformatics similar to those offered in other North American academic libraries.
Description: Our initial target clientele included four research departments of the Faculty of Medicine at Université de Montréal. In January 2010, I attended two departmental meetings and interviewed a few stakeholders in order to propose a basic bioinformatics service: one-to-one consultations and a workshop on NCBI databases. The response was favourable. The workshop was thus offered once a month during the Winter and Fall semesters, and participants were invited to evaluate the workshop via an online survey. In addition, a bioinformatics subject guide was launched on the library’s website in December 2010.
Outcomes: One hundred and two participants attended one of the nine NCBI workshops offered in 2010; most were graduate students (74%). The survey’s response rate was 54%. A majority of respondents thought that the bioinformatics resources featured in the workshop were relevant (95%) and that the difficulty level of exercises was appropriate (84%). Respondents also thought that their future information searches would be more efficient (93%) and that the workshop should be integrated in a course (78%). Furthermore, five bioinformatics-related reference questions were answered and two one-to-one consultations with students were performed.
Discussion: The success of our bioinformatics service is growing. Future directions include extending the service to other biomedical departments, integrating the workshop in an undergraduate course, promoting the subject guide in other francophone universities, and creating a bioinformatics blog that would feature specific databases, news and library resources.
Introduction: Facing imminent closure and loss of support from a major constituent, the WSU Health Sciences Library set out to reinvent itself to meet changing users' needs to become more relevant to the instructional and curricular needs of its users.
Description: In partnership with faculty committed to DVM students and their instructional needs, student focus groups and others contributed ideas for a transformation to a modern library with reduced space. Colleagues from similar libraries were approached for strategies and innovative ideas. A "new vision" position paper was presented to the administration for financial and conceptual buy-in. Alumni were approached as a fund-raising strategy.
Outcome: Administrative, faculty, student, and alumni support provided the means to make these transformations. Better utilization of the reduced space, meant less shelving, more open spaces; better lighting, new furniture provided new seating options, including a group study room. Instructional media reserves were transferred to the Library for longer access hours. An Art in the Library program provides opportunity for users to display their work and enhance the library's décor. Faculty and resident expertise was tapped to identify core materials for the reduced, on-site print collection.
Discussion: What began as a crisis situation, resulted in a transformed, student centered, modern library. Involving stakeholders in planning and decision-making strengthened ties to the Library, resulting in a new sense of ownership. A small nuclear library with collaborative work areas and access to a dynamic virtual library, can provide an enhanced learning environment for the evolving needs of students in the health professions.
Libraries have traditionally been poor at marketing themselves. We offer products and expertise for “free”, and publish in library-related journals that are not read by our users. Is it any wonder that medical schools are often unaware of what librarians do and what they can offer? In a time where libraries are struggling to remain relevant, pursuing a guest editor role with medical journals read by those within our assigned liaison responsibilities can better market our expertise and our profession.
This paper reports on the experience of being a guest editor with the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education from both the librarian and the Editor-in-Chief’s perspective. This partnership has proven to be a unique opportunity to market directly to teaching and clinical faculty, medical researchers, and educational administrators in a manner not possible with library-related publications.
A well-formed idea for a special library-related journal issue is necessary to approach the editor with the possibility. Success in the role of a guest editor depends upon familiarity of the journal’s publishing history and content. Additionally, excellent oral and written communication skills, experience in project management, especially as it pertains to adherence to deadlines, and being well networked within your niche of the library world are important for success.
While becoming a guest editor might not always be a possibility, other suggestions for involvement include offering your services as a reviewer, or offering your expertise for consults on scholarly publishing issues.
Introduction: Previous research has identified various models of embedded librarianship – the clinical informationist, the course-embedded academic liaison librarian, and the special librarian within a corporation. None of these models adequately describes the role of the research-embedded health librarian (REHL), and there is little published research on this emerging model. The REHL provides tailored, intensive information services to a health research team in which s/he is integrated. This research study will describe the REHL workforce in Canada: characteristics and geographic distribution of REHL positions, and how the REHL work experience differs from that of more traditional health librarians.
Methods: As Part I of a two-part mixed methods study, an electronic survey will be distributed to Canadian health librarians. This survey will gather demographic data on all respondents, and information on the work environments and experiences of self-identified REHL respondents. Data will be analyzed descriptively and, where possible, statistically tested for difference between the two groups (REHLs and non-REHLs). This analysis will inform the second phase of the study, to be conducted at a later date, during which focus groups with REHLs will be held. Transcripts will be analyzed qualitatively for themes related to REHL identity, contributions, and challenges.
Results: Statistical survey results will be presented, along with commentary on interpretation of these findings.
Discussion: Implications of demographic similarities and differences between Canadian REHLs and the non-RE health librarian workforce will be discussed, along with discussion of the way these findings inform Part 2 of the REHL project.
Introduction: Mobile technology plays an increasingly important role in delivery of healthcare at the bedside. According to a recent report, smartphone use among physicians will reach 81% by 2012, and physicians will be going online first for the majority of their professional needs.1 A variety of useful point of care tools are now optimized for mobile devices, but challenges to residents and physicians include knowing where to access quality apps, which apps are most relevant and reliable, and how to add them to their devices. Our objective was to provide hands-on training session for faculty and residents that would address these issues.
Methods: We conducted an environmental scan of other health libraries in North America to determine what types of instruction were being offered related to the use of mobile devices in clinical practice. Based on our scan and technology available at the NJMHSL, we piloted three workshops to faculty and residents at the Health Sciences Centre on the use of iPhones in Fall 2010/Spring 2011. Feedback on value, level of information and applicability was gathered using an evaluation form.
Results: Preliminary results from our evaluation revealed that users were still having difficulties connecting to subscription-based resources available through the library in mobile form. We developed a local, mobile app that provides a one-stop shop for connecting to both free apps and those licensed by the library.
Discussion: Our experiences with the teaching seminars and creating a mobile app will be shared. Suggestions will be provided on how libraries with limited technical support can create a mobile presence that will more easily allow their users to connect with their resources and services.
Introduction: The objective of this literature review is to conceptualize the process of translating knowledge into practice and to identify the components of this process in which libraries are best able to participate.
Method: Citations from literatures of various disciplines will be collected using past reviews and through database searches using terms from standard works on knowledge translation. The more important articles will be selected using citation analysis. Additional articles will be included in the review if they introduce concepts not included in heavily cited works. Common concepts and steps in the knowledge to action cycle will be identified using articles included. Using the literature on roles of libraries, the components of knowledge translation where libraries can make the most effective contributions will be identified.
Results: Preliminary review in the literatures of various disciplines identified a myriad of terms conceptualizing aspects of knowledge translation (e.g., translational science; technology transfer, bench to bedside) and many models of the knowledge to action cycle. Canada contributes significantly to the literature on knowledge translation. The review will provide a map of the various resources useful in understanding the concepts and terminology of the field. Linking the literature conceptually to library roles will indicate where library services, collections and skill sets can best contribute to knowledge translation.
Discussion: Knowledge translation is of growing importance, for example, recognized as one of the pillars of the CIHR mission. This paper will present results enabling libraries to participate more effectively in the knowledge to action cycle.
Introduction: In rural and remote locations in Saskatchewan, availability of distance learning opportunities is an important factor in retention of health care practitioners. An online systematic review course was developed to remove geographic barriers to learning about this aspect of evidence-based practice. Interprofessional collaboration is a significant component of both systematic reviews and distance education delivery. As part of the interprofessional development team, two U of S health science librarians explored how these kinds of collaborations can inform information literacy instruction.
Method: In early 2009 the School of Physical Therapy and the Health Sciences Library initiated the development of an online, graduate level, systematic review course. The development team consisted of a faculty member, a Continuing Education program director, an instructional designer, a graduate student and two librarians. Eight students enrolled in the first offering (Winter 2010) of Introduction to Systematic Reviews.
Results: Feedback from students on content and format as well as student and instructor experiences with the technology was generally positive. Interprofessional collaboration was critical to enabling the development of a sound technological infrastructure, integration of information literacy instruction with process knowledge, and to ensure a multi-faceted support system for the students throughout the entirety of the course.
Discussion: This experience highlighted the complexity of such an undertaking and provided greater appreciation for how integrating such diverse skills and knowledge is essential for the success of online courses. This experience will inform future decisions around interprofessional approaches to integrating library instruction into the health sciences distributed education environment.
Introduction: This qualitative study explores women’s experiences as they respond to and make sense of uncertain health information mediated by informal and formal sources. A medical case in which information is explicitly evolving provides context. While health literacy promotion frequently focuses on resources and skill acquisition, deeper understanding of information behaviour (IB) expands notions of health literacy by illuminating how information is actually made valuable in people’s lives.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews (using narrative and ‘eliciation’ approaches) were conducted with 28 women engaged in IB related to the menopause transition and with 12 health professionals acting as information providers to women navigating this life stage. A social constructionist approach and social positioning theory was used. Data analysis was facilitated by NVivo 8.
Results: Analysis draws attention to the many sources of ‘evidence’ which women value and make use of (particularly the internet and interpersonal sources); women’s positioning with respect to formal health information; and knowledge translation as an ongoing process of social construction undertaken by people involved in personal health management.
Discussion and conclusion: While health information seeking is frequently conceptualized as a competition for consumers’ limited time/allegiance, this study found that women tended to seek and monitor information across mediums. This suggests that a predominant feature of health IB was complementarity, not competition or displacement. This study illuminates the complex information worlds of women. It suggests that health literacy instruction should move beyond emphasis on ‘good’ vs. ‘bad’ information and instead illuminate the ways in which varying information sources address the diverse information needs of women.
Introduction: When health sciences librarians perform PubMed searches for a systematic review or to search for answers to clinical questions, analyses of natural language terms, index terms (medical subject headings), acronyms, etc., of relevant articles can be invaluable for improving search strategies. GoPubMed and PubReMiner are two free websites that perform statistical analyses of PubMed citations’ language usage when PMIDs are entered. In head to head comparisons, however, data discrepancies arose between GoPubMed and PubReMiner. This study examines whether two free web data-mining tools provide reliable suggestions for searchers, and to what extent they provide additional, useful textwords and MeSH terms.
Methods: PubMed searches were conducted for English language articles from 2006 to 2010 and indexed with MeSH terms “borderline personality disorder”[mh] AND "therapy”[mh]. To allow statistical analysis by hand, the search was developed to yield a reasonably small number of records (n=129). PubMed IDs (PMIDs) were entered into both GoPubMed and PubReMiner and statistical results were compared to those obtained by hand. Discrepancies were examined.
Discussion: GoPubMed and PubReMiner provide statistical analyses of some of the same fields (e.g. publication years, MeSH terms, author names), and some different fields (e.g. PubReMiner includes chemical substance names but GoPubMed does not). Variances in results were found between the fields covered by both tools. Problems were found, and discrepancies will be discussed.
Conclusion: These two data-mining web tools are a useful supplement for search planning but should be used with caution. Using the ‘related articles’ feature and examining PubMed records are still advised for developing inclusive language in biomedical search strategies.
Evolving roles of health information professionals: how a clinical librarian, knowledge broker and technology lead can promote evidence-informed practice for physiotherapists in British Columbia
Introduction: Physiotherapists, like all health professionals, struggle with strategies to successfully incorporate evidence-informed practice (EIP) into their work. The struggles can be greater for those working in isolation, private practice, and outside major centres where EIP resources and training are lacking. The Physiotherapy Association of BC provides members with the Electronic Health Library of BC, a clinical librarian, knowledge broker, and technology lead (known as the Knowledge Team or KTeam). This report describes how three health information professionals support, via technology, knowledge translation (KT) and EIP, digital literacy, and community building for physiotherapists in BC.
Description: There is evidence to support the combination of multiple KT strategies to overcome barriers to EIP. After reviewing the literature and conducting needs assessments, the KTeam used these strategies: webinars and screencasts on finding and appraising literature, development of practice guidelines, and using free or low cost technologies such as social media to connect members.
Outcomes: Informal feedback combined with data from pre/post webinar evaluations reveals that the KTeam has increased awareness of, and improved knowledge and skills for EIP, e.g., “The library contributes to my EIP” (increased from 64% to 100%), “I am able to do a simple PubMed search” (30% to 80%), “I am able to determine whether the methodology in a quantitative research article is adequate” (30% to 79%), and “I am able to determine whether the research findings should be applied to my patient population” (60% to 86%).
Discussion: The knowledge team is an effective support for enhancing EIP for BC physiotherapists. As new health information roles evolve, librarians may find beneficial synergies by working in partnership.
Introduction: Doctors, medical residents and medical students have been using handheld devices at the bedside since the first such devices were available. With the advent of smartphones, the landscape for handheld resources has expanded from downloadable content to include web-based interfaces as well as device-specific applications. McGill University Library licenses numerous point-of-care tools, but there was no cohesive way to provide access to these resources.
Methods: In order to facilitate the student usage of the point-of-care resources, the liaison librarian for Undergraduate Medicine and the web services librarian decided to collaborate on the creation of a mobile resource guide conceived and designed specifically to improve access to the mobile versions of the point-of-care tools licensed by McGill.
Results: We created a mobile web site that presents the available resources along with access (web site versus downloaded application) and authentication methods for each of 11 resources. The information is organized and optimized to facilitate use on a handheld device.
Discussion: The project faces many challenges, including dealing with multiple platforms, delivery formats, and authentication methods, and providing technical support for devices that McGill University does not yet support. The guide will be formally presented in January to the second year medical students in a library session on Evidence-Based Medicine given just before they start their first clinical rotations. A feedback mechanism will be in place to allow these students to make comments about the guide and to influence further improvements.
Introduction: To ensure that Physical and Occupational Therapy (P&OT) graduates develop Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) competencies, their academic training must promote essential EBP skills, such as posing a clinical question and retrieving relevant literature to answer the question, and the Information Literacy (IL) skills needed to practice these EBP skills. Librarians and faculty members must work in collaboration to design effective instructional strategies that will promote the development of these two sets of skills.
Methods: The P&OT liaison librarian and a faculty member designed an instructional activity that included a lecture, workshop, and assignment that attempted to integrate EBP skills and IL skills early into the academic program. Students were introduced to the notion of choosing the appropriate resource for their information needs and the basics of searching Ovid MEDLINE for a simulated patient scenario. The assignment was designed to assess students’ ability to conduct a search independently.
Results: The lecture and workshop were successful in their objectives, as 101 of the 104 students received an 8 out of 10 or higher on the search assignment.
Discussion: Given that students completed the assignment shortly after having attended the lecture and the workshop, this evaluative component did not test the long-term retention of concepts. Future work will include the evaluation of students’ long-term retention of IL objectives and the integration of IL instruction across academic years. The collaboration between the faculty member and the librarian was integral to the success of this endeavour.
Purpose: Many different research methods exist and it can be difficult to learn about them all. Bibliometrics is an important and relevant research methodology, especially for librarians. In this presentation, the methodology of bibliometrics will be illustrated using a recent project that analysed research collaboration patterns and study design types in published research.
Setting: A bibliometric research study was completed at the University of Alberta by three librarians who, until beginning this project, were novices to this type of study design. During this study, we learned how bibliometric analysis is relevant and pertinent to us as librarians and to the health researchers with whom we work.
Methods: The focus of this presentation is to introduce and explain how bibliometrics can be used and understood by health librarians to analyze health publications. We will use a bibliometric research study that analyzed publication patterns, study designs, and author relationships in published complementary and alternative medicine journals and medical journals as a case study of bibliometric research. We will define bibliometrics, the process of doing a bibliometric study will be described, and the strengths and limitations of the methodology will be explored.
Results: The results of the original research and the process of completing this type of study will be outlined.
Discussion: The challenges that arose as the project progressed, the solutions found, the pitfalls to avoid, and advice for anyone considering a bibliometric study will be discussed.
Introduction: Health sciences librarianship can and should be informed by research, and current research should inform health sciences librarians’ practices. In order to maximize the impact of research, the journal Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP) publishes evidence summaries - synopses and critical appraisals of published research that facilitate knowledge translation in library and information practice. The current study examines the methodological strengths and weaknesses of 42 studies that were critically appraised as evidence summaries, and their findings.
Method: A qualitative content analysis of the commentary section of health related evidence summaries published in EBLIP from 2006-2010 will be undertaken. Using a standardized data extraction form, each evidence summary commentary will be reviewed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the original research study, aspects of critical appraisal that were discussed, and implications for practice of the original research.
Expected Findings & Discussion: This research will provide a detailed look at selected health sciences librarianship publications from the past five years. It is expected that the results will reveal trends in critical appraisal of health sciences library and information research, highlighting methodological weaknesses as well as strengths, and areas for improvement in both research design and in critical appraisal techniques. It will provide researchers with examples of common methodological issues that arise in research and therefore potentially weaken results. For practitioners, results are also expected to reveal implications for health sciences librarianship in domains such collections, education, management, reference, information storage and retrieval, professional issues and scholarly communication.
Introduction: A body of evidence exists to support the assertion that grieving the death of a child is one of the most stressful of life experiences. While a significant body of literature exists addressing family bereavement, no synthesis of the data exists for facilitating knowledge translation to researchers, clinicians and policy-makers. Bereavement research spans several disciplines, including anthropology, medicine, psychology, nursing and social work, requiring a systematic review design to provide a comprehensive synthesis of current data. Librarians have an instrumental role on the systematic review team, capable of managing the research process from protocol development, to literature searching and screening, to analyzing and synthesizing the data.
Method: We conducted a systematic review addressing multiple aspects of family bereavement. We searched medical, allied health and social science databases for qualitative and quantitative research, published and grey literature, and incorporated hand searching of key journals and conferences.
Findings: Over 8500 potentially relevant records were screened, 800 considered for inclusion in the final review. Due to the size of the literature on the topic, a scoping review methodology was employed, omitting any critical appraisal. Key findings on the more than 500 included studies since 1970 include a significant amount of research on fathers, and the presence of numerous unpublished master’s and doctoral theses.
Discussion: Challenges encountered and lessons learned in conducting such a broad review on an interdisciplinary topic includes issues around defining the population of interest, as well as the complexity of coordinating data extraction across a variety of study designs.
Introduction: Academic libraries play a valuable role in supporting researchers with their projects, from inception to dissemination. This paper presentation describes the unique challenges addressed in creating a library resource guide (using LibGuide software) to meet an identified need for materials and tools in support of research design and writing in the health sciences, for librarians, graduate students, faculty and researchers.
Methods: The process of identifying key areas under the broad topics of conducting and writing for research in the health sciences, and selecting relevant content for those areas, will be described. Challenges such as seeking resources for such a multidisciplinary topic, and meeting the needs of such a wide audience, will be discussed. Specific aspects of guide layout and content organization to enhance usability will be highlighted.
Results: The resource guide has been published in the Health Sciences section of the University of Alberta Library website. It has been promoted to the librarians of the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library for their feedback prior to promotion to the health sciences faculties.
Discussion: Recommendations for next steps include: garnering feedback from teaching and research faculty in the health sciences disciplines served by the John W. Scott Library; creating a customized Research Design and Writing tab within existing health sciences discipline-specific library guides; monitoring usage (volume and audience); ongoing adjustment of content and organization to respond to users’ needs.
Objective: In an attempt to explore new opportunities to support medical students at the Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, the health sciences librarian moved out of her office in the main library to an office in the medical department for one semester.
Methods: Data regarding research and library support for first and second year medical students was collected for one semester. The data collected captured the number of questions/interactions with the librarian, the manner by which the student(s) asked the question (in-person, email, and phone), the type of questions asked, and the length of each question/interaction. Descriptions of each question/interaction were recorded. Data was compared to existing data recorded from a previous semester.
Results: The location of the librarian’s office in the medical department significantly increased the number of in-person questions/interactions with first and second year medical students. The types of questions/interactions were primarily reference questions. Definitions and statistics will be provided.
Discussion: The office location of the librarian within the medical department increased the number of student-librarian interactions in regards to student research and library support. There was a significant increase in the number of reference questions asked by the students. The pilot was a success and the librarian remains in an office within the medical department.
Introduction: This qualitative, multi-site case series investigated information provision to health care providers by librarians during the recent H1N1 pandemic. Analysis revealed contributions of information professionals and best practices for librarians supporting health care organizations during an outbreak. Research findings will help define current and future roles for information professionals in pandemic planning and response.
Methods: The research utilized a multi-site, comparative case study design. Researchers selected four cases for their representation of a provision-of-information project by an MLIS professional to health care or information professionals that emerged in response to the recent H1N1 pandemic. Investigators conducted semi-structured interviews and examined supplementary materials in the form of organizational documents, correspondence, communications and websites to create a complete picture of each case. Investigators queried each participant as to the circumstances of the information request, method of delivery utilized to communicate with their audience, sources used to retrieve information, evaluation and selection criteria applied to each source, and assessment of the service provision. The rigour of the case study was ensured through data and investigator triangulation, and interview transcripts were coded using NVivo to identify common themes and points of comparison.
Results: Triangulated analysis of the four cases revealed a distinct difference between "client-initiated" and "self-initiated" provision of pandemic information during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. Self-initiated projects utilized social software to "push" information; whereas client-initiated projects operated within patron-determined parameters for the use of technology to deliver information. Case analysis also revealed that health care administrators were a key audience for pandemic information services. News sources were essential resources and librarian evaluation skills proved crucial for selecting best quality evidence to support administrative decision making. Anecdotal evidence suggested that librarians provided a valuable service during the pandemic response period. However, particularly in the case of self-initiated projects, librarians found it difficult to conduct a formal assessment of their services.
Conclusions: Providing health care administrators with filtered information during a pandemic response period is a vital role, well-suited to health librarians. Successful provision of pandemic information services depends on prior-planning, high level communication and technological skills, and promotion of the library to institutional disaster planning teams.
Description: Research and innovation defines our universities and helps academic librarians in all aspects of their work including information literacy, curriculum integration, collection development and assessment activities. The focus of the study was to innovatively use unique search fields and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds offered by Science Technology Medicine (STM) databases to analyze our collections and expand our knowledge base. The outcome of this exercise resulted in better liaison with faculty members, research officers and graduate students during their communication and research and literature review process.
Method: STM databases provide unique fields that were used to limit results to research papers from our institution. We are able to highlight publications stemming from specific departments including grant funded research and papers in open access journals which can be monitored from one central location. RSS feeds were created for searches conducted in PubMed, Web of Science & Scopus and this has helped graduate students to follow the latest articles related to their research. The feeds are made available as a public blogroll.
Results & Discussion: The information gathered from different sources has been used to observe research trends including publishing trends in OA journals. Results from different blogrolls are periodically analyzed using tools offered by STM databases. They are used to strengthen our research collection and populate our institutional repository. Other benefits accrued as a result of these activities will be discussed in detail. Participants will also explore possibilities to create context specific feeds for their institutions using various databases.
Introduction: At the University of Alberta, undergraduate medical students complete several “searching for and evaluating evidence” assignments in their first two years. To increase student engagement, we converted one of our existing paper-based assignments to an interactive electronic format by adapting a continuing medical education (CME) program that many participants will use professionally. In this session, we describe the project and report on survey results measuring student engagement with the new assignment.
Method: The College of Family Physicians of Canada’s ePearls™ CME program was simplified for use by medical students beginning their clinical clerkship. All of the students had completed a similar paper based assignment within the previous two years. Students completed the interactive electronic assignment during class time. At the end of the session students were asked to complete an electronic survey which was designed to measure their preference for the paper or electronic delivery of the assignment and whether or not delivery in the context of a CME program was engaging for them.
Results: Most of the students preferred the electronic version of the assignment over previous paper versions. Most of the students also valued the introduction to the CME environment. Many students commented that they enjoyed being able to immediately apply what they had learned.
Discussion: Overall, the new assignment was very well-received. Students clearly favoured the new format, and they also appreciated the CME aspect. Based on these results, we will implement the delivery of more of evidence seeking instruction in this format.
Question: The purpose of this study is to try and gain a better understanding of undergraduate research consultation activities in a Health Sciences Library.
Design (Mixed Methods): In addition to a literature review, a content analysis of consultation statistics and the associated planning and follow-up correspondence was conducted. The analysis sought to identify trends related to field of study, complexity of research need, time of year and origin of the consultation request (e.g. program requirement, instructor recommendation, student identified learning need, etc.). Additional information about changing curriculum research requirements will also be incorporated.
Setting: The study took place in the Health Sciences Library at McMaster University.
Results: Although not complete, the preliminary findings suggest a growing emphasis on bibliographic research, systematic reviews and scoping analysis at the undergraduate level without adequate support from within the formal curriculum. As a result, students are seeking greater support for their research endeavours from the library.
Conclusions: This study attempts to understand what is really happening during the undergraduate research consultation. As both professional and non-professional undergraduate health sciences programs evolve and transform, it is essential that libraries continue to explore new possibilities in the provision of viable and sustainable consultation services.
Introduction: This is a review of how search and appraisal has evolved at the BMJ Evidence Centre. The BMJ Evidence Centre Information Specialist Team have reviewed and revised their search processes for products such as Clinical Evidence a number of times, in order to strike a balance between finding as much relevant material as possible, whilst not overwhelming authors with literature, nor incurring high financial costs in retrieving data.
Methods: This has been done by evaluating the sources searched, the search systems used to search those resources, the selection criteria used for different products, the level of quality control checking and the search/appraisal planning process.
Results: A number of changes have been successfully adopted. We have streamlined search filters to reduce erroneous hits, we have stopped unnecessary double-checking of appraisal, we have formalised our role in planning searches, we have rationalised appraisal criteria and reduced the use of low yielding resources. However, we have also sought to maintain processes which we feel are integral to quality and provide valuable information.
Discussion: A review of these changes over time shows how we have adapted to the changing demands of searching for products in a competitive market. As financial constraints bite, but the amount of medical literature continues to rise, the need to find a balance between what can be sustainably delivered against what might be ideal, has to be found. We hope that some of our experiences may be helpful to librarians juggling these demands in other settings too.
Introduction: The Dentistry Library is undergoing an inventory project to identify collection strengths and weaknesses. The data will be valuable to better sustain the Faculty of Dentistry curriculum; it will evolve our roles as subject experts by providing a deeper understanding of our holdings; and it will also transform our collection to better support the research needs of our users.
Methods: A new shelf-list was created and checked by library staff for any inconsistencies. Errors in holdings are being corrected. Quantitative and qualitative analysis will be completed for some major dental subjects: Anatomy, Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics.
Results: Most record edits include marking items missing and correcting various call number errors. After analysis we will have a total number of unique titles by subject and date. The following will also be considered: collection issues (titles that were missed); cataloguing issues (subject headings not assigned, wrong call number); publication issues (not many books published in the area).
Discussion: The analysis will enhance the discoverability of our library catalogue by providing accurate item information. The data will also be an avenue for outreach activities, such as contacting faculty members in those fields where the collection is deemed weak and gathering suggestions to boost these areas.
Conclusion: The project has been a great learning experience for the whole team at the Dentistry Library. We established steps for future collection inventories, which we plan to execute every 5 years.
Intégration d'une bibliothécaire au comité de transformation du programme des études médicales de premier cycle (Librarian's role in the committee for the revision of the undergraduate medical education curriculum)
Introduction: À l'automne 2010, la Bibliothèque de la santé a reçu une demande de soutien documentaire continu, sur une période de 8 mois, de la part du comité de transformation du programme des études médicales de premier cycle de la Faculté de médecine de l'Université de Montréal.
Description: Une bibliothécaire d'expérience, ayant déjà collaboré avec le Centre de pédagogie appliquée aux sciences de la santé (CPASS) de la Faculté de médecine, participe depuis novembre aux réunions hebdomadaires du comité de transformation du programme. Elle effectue des recherches documentaires et une sélection de la documentation afin de soutenir ce comité ainsi que les tables de travail thématiques qui seront mises en place en janvier 2011. Elle a mis en place une banque de données collaborative pour assurer la gestion, le partage et la diffusion de la documentation. Elle conseille aussi le comité lorsqu'il lui semble approprié de faire appel aux services d'une informationiste pour effectuer un travail de synthèse plus élaboré. La bibliothécaire tient un journal de bord afin de documenter ce projet (travail effectué, difficultés rencontrées, temps investi, nouvelles expertises développées, etc.) ; un rapport sera aussi produit par le comité de transformation afin d'évaluer l'apport de la bibliothécaire aux travaux du comité.
Résultats prévus: Nous croyons que ce projet devrait contribuer à enrichir les partenariats existants entre la Bibliothèque de la santé et la Faculté de Médecine. La connaissance approfondie des objectifs et besoins du nouveau programme permettra une meilleure adéquation au niveau du développement des collections, du programme de formations documentaires déjà en place ainsi que de proposer en commun des ajustements dans l’offre des services voire la mise en œuvre de nouveaux.
Background: The Canadian Agency for Drugs & Technologies in Health (CADTH) has a Rapid Response Service, which supplies available evidence for informed decision making to Canadian health care providers. Increasingly the Rapid Response service is receiving requests for information on topics related to health care human resources and health care provider occupational safety. In order to meet this need, CADTH Information Specialists sought to create an effective grey literature checklist that contained websites on human resource topics within the health care field.
Objective(s): To locate and identify websites (specifically nursing) which generate material on topics related to health care human resources and/or occupational safety. The goal is to create a grey literature resource base that has been evaluated for reliability, authoritativeness, and suitability for inclusion in Rapid Response reports.
Methods: Two Information Specialists conducted a focused internet search for health care human resources using the CINAHL database, as well as web based resources. In addition, specific listservs were also used to solicit suggestions from other health information professionals across North America.
Results: The resulting resources were compiled and evaluated using predetermined criteria developed by CADTH Information Specialists. The preliminary results included sources from professional associations, academic health libraries, among other human resources sites. The content of each resource was evaluated, and then divided into appropriate topic areas.
Conclusions: CADTH’s Rapid Response service has expanded it grey literature searching practices to include sources or websites that specialize in providing relevant and authoritative information on topics in health care human resources and occupational health.
Introduction: MHIKNET (pronounced “my net”) Library Services are provided by the University of Manitoba Health Sciences Libraries to Manitoba Health, participating Regional Health Authorities, and physicians in Manitoba. Since clients do not have electronic access to the libraries’ collections, one of the primary functions of MHIKNET is to provide a current awareness service.
Objective: The MHIKNET current awareness service was developed in response to the discontinuation of CISTI Source in 2009. To make this resource-intensive process of emailing table of contents and PubMed search alerts sustainable and effective, it was necessary to transform its procedures and delivery methods.
Methods: Topic and journal searches are set up in PubMed to alert individual clients to new literature. All searches are saved in MHIKNET’s MyNCBI account and on a weekly basis the results are emailed to clients.
Results: MHIKNET clients have been very receptive to the current awareness service and formal analysis and evaluation is forthcoming. The evolution of the service has expanded the subject search alerts, decreased the number of emails clients receive, and has allowed for more streamlined and individualized search results.
Discussion: The current awareness service is effectively providing individualized literature updates to clients. The emails sent to clients also provide a weekly reminder of MHIKNET Library Services and an opportunity to highlight news and resources.
Introduction: Research-informed public policy is often articulated as an ideal. Yet, “evidence-based policy making” has also been critiqued for not fully taking into account the context in which policy makers actually work. This exploratory study investigates the work-related information seeking experiences of key informants engaged in pharmaceutical policy making in Canada.
Methods: As part of a broader research priority setting process, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 15 Canadian pharmaceutical policy decision makers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded using descriptive qualitative analysis influenced by grounded theory methods. We compared results with Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain’s General Model of Information Seeking of Professionals to create a model specific to our study population.
Results: Pharmaceutical policy makers need information for their work, and their information seeking is not unlike that of other professionals. Approaches to seeking were diverse, and may reflect a status hierarchy in which access to resources is unequally distributed. Information sources also appeared to indicate differential status. Affective outcomes were commonly disappointment, desire for a single go-to source, and resignation to making do without evidence. Time pressures were a general concern, and influenced seeking actions as well as outcomes.
Discussion: Specific characteristics of information needs, as well as a lack of established sources, create affective outcomes that point to areas of improvement for information sharing and knowledge translation. In the absence of a dedicated, independent source for rapid-response policy research, Canadian pharmaceutical policy makers will continue to satisfice with available resources, and barriers to evidence-informed policy will persist.
Introduction: The Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) has two unique information services. As part of Alberta Health Services (AHS), the Family and Community Resource Centre (FCRC) provides a multidisciplinary, supportive environment for families and connects them with service providers, education, and consumer health information. The ACH Knowledge Centre, part of the Health Information Network Calgary, a collaborative partnership between the University of Calgary Library and AHS, provides library and information support to staff in the hospital.
In late 2010, the Child Health Information Specialist at the FCRC was approached by one of the clinics at the hospital to bring information resources to their unit for staff to use themselves and with their patients. The Knowledge Centre Librarian was invited to participate by bringing professional development resources for staff.
Methods: A review was conducted to survey the literature on past projects. Team members found that collaborative projects of a similar nature have not been carried out in a hospital setting. In early 2011, a pilot project will begin with the Information Specialist and the Librarian bringing articles, books, and other materials on topics of relevance to the clinic.
Discussion: This project is in its early stages and our results are not yet complete. Outcomes on the effectiveness of the project will be measured after three months, and team members have already discussed expanding the project to other clinics within the hospital. We are evolving our services by partnering and transforming the way hospital staff view our offerings through active marketing and innovative programming.
Introduction: Peer review of electronic search strategies has always been a standard practice and an integral part of Information Specialists (IS) search processes at the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). The purpose of this project was to evaluate and revise the PRESS quality assessment checklist tool (Sampson et al., 2008) according to CADTH IS needs and incorporate it into CADTH IS peer review processes.
Methods: Sampson’s PRESS report systematic review searches were updated to identify any additional evidence and any other assessment checklists that evaluate/validate the quality of electronic search strategies. A web-based survey was conducted among CADTH IS and in-person meeting to seek their feedback on the importance of the checklist elements indicated by Sampson’s et al report and to identify any other elements to the validity of electronic search strategies.
Results: Based on the systematic review search update, survey and CADTH IS feedback, the CADTH peer review checklist has been created and the final number of questions assessing possible errors in electronic search strategies has increased from seven to ten.
Conclusion: Implementing a validated checklist tool for peer reviewing electronic search strategies will improve the retrieval of relevant information. The aim of the CADTH peer review checklist is to standardize peer review processes at CADTH and to improve the quality of electronic search strategies. A standardized and validated checklist tool will make the peer review processes more transparent and rigorous, increasing the quality and completeness of CADTH IS search strategies.
References:
Sampson M, McGowan J, Lefebvre C, Moher D, Grimshaw J. PRESS: Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies. Ottawa: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2008.
McGowan, Sampson M, Lefebvre C. An evidence based checklist for the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS EBC). Evidence Based Library and Information Practice. 2010, 5.1:149-154
Creating a collaborative partnership between the University of Calgary, AHS Calgary Zone and the Calgary Public Library to support local health literacy initiatives
Introduction: Health Literacy is a key indicator in determining whether consumers can properly manage their health. Unfortunately, 60 % of Canadians do not have the requisite health literacy skills identified to participate in this management. Community collaborations can be utilized to identify, create and support constructive programs to alleviate issues involving low literacy.
Description: In Calgary, a collaborative partnership has been formed between Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone leaders, University of Calgary librarians within the Health Information Network and Calgary Public Library librarians. This partnership exists with the purpose of identifying barriers to health literacy and brainstorming ways to address these barriers, increasing awareness across organizations to health literacy information, resources and trends and facilitating knowledge transfer of these key issues to necessary parties within the community.
Outcomes: This partnership has developed several initiatives to address health literacy awareness and barriers within the community. These included a joint symposium to discuss the specific health literacy issues in the Calgary Area among community stakeholders, increasing awareness and access to health information resources through a project to provide library vouchers within a hospital library and an ongoing interorganizational committee to create innovative ideas to solve health literacy issues together.
Discussion: Through this collaborative partnership each organization has been able to identify their role in support of addressing local health literacy issues and create community leaders in these initiatives. Interest in these initiatives has steadily increased and spurred new endeavours.
Introduction: Search filters are designed to increase efficiency of information retrieval and can be particularly useful in limiting the large numbers of articles retrieved for systematic reviews (SRs). Existing published prognosis search filters (or hedges) have lower sensitivity and precision values than their therapy counterparts. Taking into account the relatively poor performance of prognosis filters, this study seeks to identify which methods of limiting search results to prognostic studies are most often used by SR teams.
Methods: One hundred and three SRs of prognostic studies published in 2009 and indexed in Medline were retrieved. Each article’s search strategy was reviewed and prognosis-related search terms were extracted. Counts were made of the number of times particular words or strategies were employed.
Results: Only 51 out of 103 studies attempted to limit the search to prognosis studies. Six SRs out of 103 did not specify their search terms and the other 46 SRs used content terms only (no terms related to methodology or prognosis). Of the 51 strategies that attempted to limit to prognosis studies, only 6 (5.8%) used a published filter. Twenty–six SRs (25.2%) used only one-, two-, or three-term filters which are highly unlikely to provide the sensitivity generally sought for SRs.
Discussion: Published prognosis search filters are used in a small minority of SRs. However, in at least one quarter of the reviews examined, a published sensitive search filter would likely have improved the searches’ sensitivities. The subsequent impact on precision and the outcomes of the systematic reviews require further study.
Introduction: The medical libraries from Trillium Health Centre (THC) and Credit Valley Hospital (CVH) recently partnered on a library-run survey. In addition to continuous examination of our products and services, particularly with respect to new and emerging technologies, we wanted to
validate a premise that our libraries overtly support our organizations’ strategic initiatives, thereby directly impacting outcomes
invite users to indicate their perspective on the strengths of library products and services, their preferences and future needs
give exposure to the range of resources and services and their potential impact on learning and skill building – significant to THC and CVH, as they settle into an academic environment as the teaching hospitals for the new Medical Academy of Mississauga
contribute to a needed pool of data in support of value and impact studies of library services
Methods: The survey, customized to each hospital, was designed to invite responses to questions presented in three sections: resource, knowledge, utility. It was available in print and online at both institutions and was open to all affiliated physicians, clinical staff and employees.
Discussion: The print survey data was entered independently in the online survey tools and the data was exported in MS Excel for analysis. Narrative analysis is forthcoming and will be presented. We expect that our findings from this, and future surveys against which we can benchmark, will more positively influence corporate thinking on the value of our respective libraries.
Background: As health sciences research (HSR) activities expand in Canada, so do career opportunities for health librarians and information professionals. Because library and information studies (LIS) curricula do not typically address careers outside of a traditional library setting, it is often a series of chance events or individual interest that bring information professionals into HSR.
Objectives: To explore the career paths of health information professionals working outside of traditional academic or hospital library settings. Our experiences will demonstrate potential career options for LIS graduates, and question the applicability of LIS training within HSR.
Method: Five questions grounded in Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC)[1] were developed to capture the career paths of information professionals working in HSR. A purposive sample of five information professionals with Master's level training in LIS, working in HSR in British Columbia, were selected to respond. Sectors represented by the respondents include academic and evidence-based research, government, and independent consultancy.
Results: By framing our stories within CTC, the individual case reports explore the applicability of LIS training for long-term employment in HSR, and shed light on the evolution of careers in health information services after graduate-level LIS studies.
Discussion: As our field transforms, new career options are becoming available to LIS graduates with an interest in health. By describing our own paths to HSR positions, we hope to support the expansion of health information careers and inform CE programming while sustaining LIS through our work in non-traditional library environments.
1. Pryor RGL, Bright J. Applying Chaos Theory to Careers: Attraction and attractors. J Vocat Behav. 2007;71(3):375-400. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2007.05.002
Objectives: To showcase the new Traditional and Indigenous Healing Collection at the University of Alberta, John W. Scott Health Sciences Library and to describe its development and launch.
Methods: During 2010 the J.W. Scott Health Sciences Library worked closely with the University of Alberta’s Centre for Cross-Cultural Health and Healing to develop a separate library collection on Traditional and Indigenous Healing, which was launched in October 2010.The Library and The CCCHH Board together defined the policies for the collection. Materials were selected from the CCCHH in-house library collection and new materials were purchased through a donation from a CCCHH Board member. The Library established a new location code and decorated and furnished the space. To provide maximum exposure, the opening of the Collection was timed to coincide with a gathering of Indigenous healers from across Canada and the United States.
Results: The collection and space provide a dedicated environment in which the faculty, students and members of the community can undertake studies of world-wide healing methods.
Introduction: As a response to increasing public health crises, such as the SARS outbreak in 2003, the Government of Canada saw the need for more coordinated and strengthened public health efforts. As part of the effort to address this need six National Collaborating Centres for Public Health (NCCPH) were launched in 2005 under the auspices of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Spread out across Canada, and each with a different public health focus (e.g., Aboriginal Health, Infectious Diseases, etc.), much of the Centres’ work is directed at translating knowledge gained from evidence and expertise-based practice and creating ‘knowledge products’ (e.g., evidence reviews, white papers, etc). This study examines the information needs (both recognized and unrecognized) of NCC staff involved in the creation of these knowledge products and will determine current practices for locating evidence, establish best practices, identify potential problems in current information-seeking processes, and provide suggestions for improvements.
Methods: Methods include conducting semi-structured telephone interviews with the NCC Scientific Directors, a review of the literature, and an online questionnaire distributed to all staff of the National Collaborating Centres for Public Health.
Results: To be determined
Discussion: Attendees will obtain preliminary findings on the information needs of public health professionals in Canada, with a specific focus on those involved in knowledge translation – a concept that has become increasingly important in the health sciences over the last decade.
Introduction: Content analysis of LIS research articles is an effective way of creating a snapshot of a particular element of the profession at a particular time. Conference programs are potentially another source of data for researching the profession. However, they have not been used as such, despite capturing information not likely to be found elsewhere: CE offerings, non-published research, and non-research presentations. The purpose of this research is to identify what CHLA conference programs might tell us about health sciences librarianship in Canada in the last nine years, specifically looking at the question of much research is being presented at the conferences. Methods: Quantitative content analysis is used to identify how many contributed paper abstracts and poster abstracts can be classified as research. Results: One hundred and forty-four contributed papers were identified between 2001-2009. The number of papers varied through the years from a low of 9 to a high of 20. Forty-two were identified as research. Discussion: What kind of conclusions, if any, can be drawn from the results of this content analysis? Some of the challenges in this research included operationalizing the definition of research and how the findings might be of practical use. The author would like to thank Connie Winther for being a seconder in the data extraction process.
Objective: The poster will educate attendees about the importance of health literacy and demonstrate how the expertise of the Consumer Health Information Technician, AHS Libraries and the literacy staff at Red Deer Public Library combined to reach at risk citizens of Red Deer. The poster is the culmination of a two (2) year project with funding from Community Initiatives Program and details what was learned and how to apply the results to enhance health information literacy in their own facilities and communities.
Method: Poster Presentation
Results: Some of the results include enhanced health information collections through partnerships, targeted health information literacy programming, increased use of health information collections, and improved communication and interactivity between health, library and social service organizations in the community.
Conclusions: Conclusions about the success of the project are included on the poster and possible future initiatives identified.
The Health Sciences Library (HSL) of the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region (RQHR) licenses resources which include mobile subscription options. Over the past year HSL staff tracked the number of licenses and the type of devices for which RQHR staff, physicians, students, interns and residents have requested licenses. The data collected will help inform future collection development, library training, and the technology skills needed by library staff to support a clientele with changing information needs.
In fall 2010, the author surveyed health sciences students at the University of Saskatchewan to find out how much time they spend leisure reading, whether leisure reading plays a role in their development as health professionals, and whether they feel a leisure reading collection should be set up at the University of Saskatchewan Health Sciences Library. Many respondents indicated that leisure reading is an important activity for them, and that they would like their academic health sciences library to help them do more of it.
It’s 4 pm before a 3 day holiday and new graduate students are coming for an orientation. How does one get and keep the students’ attention under these less than ideal conditions? Taking a page from the children’s book series, “Choose Your Own Adventure,” this instructor used a combination of Smartboard technology, audience response systems, and discussion to actively engage the students in creating their own, customized orientation. This session shares the rationale and techniques used.
A new monthly Journal Club was started in November 2010 in the Child Psychiatry Service of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal with the overall mandate to contribute to a new culture of “turning research into practice”. Following a co-presentation at the Grand Rounds on EBM/EBP that met with interest, the librarian was invited to participate in the monthly journal club by the co-presenter, a child psychiatrist.
What is the role of the librarian, if there is one, in a Journal Club?
The experience of being part of this club will be shared and discussed.
The burgeoning volume of online resources, accessed by growing numbers of aging information seekers, has exposed a knowledge gap regarding how the senior population evaluates Web-based health information, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in particular. This presentation highlights findings from a pilot study exploring how older adult consumers evaluate the trustworthiness of internet-based CAM information.
In this talk, we will highlight a hospital library as a unique resource to support the successful transition from the hospital to the community. In a collaborative pilot program public library vouchers are provided to patients and their families who use the hospital library while visiting an acute care hospital in the large urban setting of Calgary AB. The program aims to increase awareness of consumer health resources and to facilitate access to resources when patients leave the hospital and return to their community. We will discuss the success and learning opportunities of this venture to date.
In 2010, the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region Health Sciences Library in Regina, Saskatchewan created a course to support nurses who have enrolled or intend to enroll in classes to upgrade their education. The library recognized that nurses of this vintage would benefit from developing their information literacy skills in order to complete the research-driven assignments and projects of their program The course was offered on a Saturday, outside normal working hours, in an effort to allow more nurses to attend. Objectives included how to: ask effective research questions; evaluate and choose medical resources; effectively search medical databases; and create bibliographies and manage citations. This presentation will discuss the creation, implementation, and evaluation of the course.
I will discuss Steacie Science and Engineering Library's experiences loaning out a variety of consumer electronic gadgets including a digital camera, digital voice record, Sony eReader, and iPod Touch. We offer these items for students and faculty to borrow and use in whatever way they see fit. We are loaning these items out with the intent that the users will either have a specific use in mind including as a study or classroom aide or that it will be an opportunity for the users to trial a new technology that they would not otherwise get a chance to try out. I will outline the policy and technological issues surrounding loaning out products that were designed to be used by individual users and how we addressed them. I will also briefly outline the responses of users including the borrowing statistics and the results of a short survey regarding how they used the iPod Touch. I believe this talk could be an excellent introduction to the role consumer electronics can play in a health library.
A lot is written about how to search databases in a Systematic Review.
During several recent reviews three other essential aspects of a good systematic review have recurred:
Communication with the researchers
Collaboration methods
Documentation of the search process
I would like to highlight these three aspects of the Systematic Review process with a quick tip on each. The tips form a standardized process which can result in more efficient use of the review team’s time, better understanding of the researcher’s topic, and a streamlined approach to documenting the process.
“In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain” – Pliny the Elder
Research has shown that uncertainty plays a large role in the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones. Uncertainty begins at or even before the initial diagnosis, and continues throughout a patient’s cancer treatment, persisting even into remission. Patients may choose to decrease their uncertainty through information-seeking, or to maintain it through information avoidance. We conducted open-ended interviews with cancer patients who have used the Tom Baker Cancer Knowledge Centre, in order to find out more about how the library can assist patients with their uncertainty management. We asked about sources/causes of uncertainty, preferences for how and when information should be given, and how they used the library to manage their uncertainty. We also sought to identify gaps or opportunities for the library to play a greater role in patients’ uncertainty management.
Social Media can be an effective tool to create buzz and connect your delegates before, during and after a conference. In order to use online social media as effectively as possible for the CHLA/ABSC 2011 conference, we initially defined goals and objectives for the use of these tools, created a strategic plan for their use and modified our method of use on an ongoing basis. We will discuss the best practices we have learned from this experience to date.
