OBJECTIVE: To determine whether doctors in an Australian tertiary hospital would use an informationist service, and to identify how the service would influence care. DESIGN: A prospective uncontrolled pilot study July 2002-January 2003. SETTING: A teaching hospital in South Australia. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen doctors working in the selected units. INTERVENTION: An informationist attended specified medical in-patient ward rounds and clinical meetings in the Respiratory Medicine, Sleep Disorders, and Rheumatology units. Main outcomes measures. Clinician self-assessed impact of information on a range of outcomes relating to clinical decision-making, clinician education, and avoidance of adverse events. RESULTS: In 23 weeks, 52 questions were generated by nine of 14 eligible doctors. Forty-eight of 52 (92%) feedback forms were completed, indicating an average of 5.7 impacted outcomes per response. Twenty-five of 48 (52%) provided new information to doctors, and 24/48 (50%) provided at least some information that could be used immediately. Most common contributions of the service to patient care were revision of treatment plan (21/48, 44%) and confirmation of proposed therapy (18/48, 38%). Thirteen of 48 (27%) contributed to avoiding adverse events, and 10/48 (21%) contributed to avoiding additional tests and procedures. Eleven of 11 (100%) doctors who used the service assessed that it contributed or probably contributed to their professional development, with 8/10 (80%) indicating a similar impact on improving clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Medical staff will use an informationist service, which contributes substantially to a multiplicity of outcomes relating to medical decision-making, clinician education, and clinical outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether doctors in an Australian tertiary hospital would use an informationist service, and to identify how the service would influence care. DESIGN: A prospective uncontrolled pilot study July 2002-January 2003. SETTING: A teaching hospital in South Australia. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen doctors working in the selected units. INTERVENTION: An informationist attended specified medical in-patient ward rounds and clinical meetings in the Respiratory Medicine, Sleep Disorders, and Rheumatology units. Main outcomes measures. Clinician self-assessed impact of information on a range of outcomes relating to clinical decision-making, clinician education, and avoidance of adverse events. RESULTS: In 23 weeks, 52 questions were generated by nine of 14 eligible doctors. Forty-eight of 52 (92%) feedback forms were completed, indicating an average of 5.7 impacted outcomes per response. Twenty-five of 48 (52%) provided new information to doctors, and 24/48 (50%) provided at least some information that could be used immediately. Most common contributions of the service to patient care were revision of treatment plan (21/48, 44%) and confirmation of proposed therapy (18/48, 38%). Thirteen of 48 (27%) contributed to avoiding adverse events, and 10/48 (21%) contributed to avoiding additional tests and procedures. Eleven of 11 (100%) doctors who used the service assessed that it contributed or probably contributed to their professional development, with 8/10 (80%) indicating a similar impact on improving clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Medical staff will use an informationist service, which contributes substantially to a multiplicity of outcomes relating to medical decision-making, clinician education, and clinical outcomes.
Authors: Suzanne F Grefsheim; Susan C Whitmore; Barbara A Rapp; Jocelyn A Rankin; Rex R Robison; Candace C Canto Journal: J Med Libr Assoc Date: 2010-04