Viji Kurup1, Denise Hersey. 1. Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA. viji.kurup@yale.edu
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There has been an explosion of medical information in the past decade. Current clinical practice demands that anesthesiologists be aware of current treatments and procedures, along with the latest practice standards and guidelines. The need to be able to rapidly retrieve relevant, accurate clinical information at the point of care is now felt more than ever. This review explores the impact of clinical medical librarians, with particular emphasis on their application in the perioperative setting. RECENT FINDINGS: An increasing number of hospitals are turning to medical librarians to help clinicians improve their information-seeking skills. As a result, the role of medical librarians has expanded dramatically. Most studies evaluating the effectiveness of clinical medical librarian programs support their value in clinical teams, yet the studies rely primarily on descriptive surveys and qualitative data. SUMMARY: Anesthesiologists have particular information needs for which the physical library is no longer sufficient. New outcome measures to define the 'success' of clinical medical librarian programs need to be formulated, and economic considerations need to be factored into these programs.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There has been an explosion of medical information in the past decade. Current clinical practice demands that anesthesiologists be aware of current treatments and procedures, along with the latest practice standards and guidelines. The need to be able to rapidly retrieve relevant, accurate clinical information at the point of care is now felt more than ever. This review explores the impact of clinical medical librarians, with particular emphasis on their application in the perioperative setting. RECENT FINDINGS: An increasing number of hospitals are turning to medical librarians to help clinicians improve their information-seeking skills. As a result, the role of medical librarians has expanded dramatically. Most studies evaluating the effectiveness of clinical medical librarian programs support their value in clinical teams, yet the studies rely primarily on descriptive surveys and qualitative data. SUMMARY: Anesthesiologists have particular information needs for which the physical library is no longer sufficient. New outcome measures to define the 'success' of clinical medical librarian programs need to be formulated, and economic considerations need to be factored into these programs.
Authors: Ruth Holst; Carla J Funk; Heidi Sue Adams; Margaret Bandy; Catherine Mary Boss; Beth Hill; Claire B Joseph; Rosalind K Lett Journal: J Med Libr Assoc Date: 2009-10