Focused Library Instruction for Occupational Therapy,Physical Therapy,and Respiratory Care Students and Faculty: Library Instruction in Allied Health

The integration of librarians into allied health programs presents many exciting opportunities for collaboration. This column will describe how a library instruction program is integrated into the occupational therapy, respiratory care, and physical therapy curricula at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The allied health faculty have welcomed and recognized the librarians’ expertise in teaching evidence-based practice and library research skills.     

Libraries and the R&D strategy: a way forward

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Problem Knowledge Couplers: reengineering evidence-based medicine through interdisciplinary development, decision support, and research.

The rapid growth of medical knowledge is creating a demand for new ways of providing information in support of evidence-based medical practice. Problem Knowledge Couplers are a clinical decision support software tool that offer a new approach to this growing problem. Couplers are developed through a collaboration among clinicians, informaticians, and librarians. They recognize that functionality must be predicated upon combining unique patient information, gleaned through relevant structured question sets, with the appropriate knowledge found in the world's peer-reviewed medical literature. Two pilot studies indicate that couplers can meet the gold standards of decision making within both a primary care and a specialty practice. Issues remain about how to best integrate Problem Knowledge Couplers into clinical practice and whether large-scale outcomes research will support the findings of pilot studies. However, Problem Knowledge Couplers represent a promising approach that might portend a new model for health care delivery in the next millennium.     

Healthcare librarians and the delivery of critical appraisal training: barriers to involvement

Background: Many healthcare librarians are undertaking training in critical appraisal but a significant number are not cascading the training to their end‐users. Objectives: To examine the barriers to healthcare librarian involvement in delivering critical appraisal training. Methods: A questionnaire survey of 57 library services across 48 NHS Trust Library Services in north west England followed up with 21 semi‐structured interviews. Results: Two types of barriers were noted: extrinsic barriers (organisational, environmental, training, role expectations) and intrinsic barriers (knowledge, skills, attitude). Conclusions: These barriers are not mutually exclusive and by overcoming one of them it does not necessarily follow that healthcare librarians will engage in delivering critical appraisal skills training. The challenge lies in developing strategies to deal effectively with these barriers to encourage and support healthcare librarians in the delivery of critical appraisal training at a level at which they feel confident and able.     

Librarians' Roles in Evidence-Based Dentistry Education: A Review of Literature and a Survey in North America

This study describes the current roles of dental librarians in Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) education including their perceptions of EBD and barriers to their involvement. A Web-based survey was distributed to the dental librarians in North America, with a 71% response rate. The results showed that the majority of dental librarians are playing multiple and diverse roles in EBD education. The most frequently cited barrier to their involvement is the low level of interest from the dental faculty/student/school. Most dental librarians felt competent in supporting EBD, although continuing education needs in both EBD and teaching skills were pointed out.     

Librarians' roles in evidence-based dentistry education: a review of literature and a survey in North America

This study describes the current roles of dental librarians in Evidence-based Dentistry (EBD) education including their perceptions of EBD and barriers to their involvement. A Web-based survey was distributed to the dental librarians in North America, with a 71% response rate. The results showed that the majority of dental librarians are playing multiple and diverse roles in EBD education. The most frequently cited barrier to their involvement is the low level of interest from the dental faculty/student/school. Most dental librarians felt competent in supporting EBD, although continuing education needs in both EBD and teaching skills were pointed out.     

Improving and Assessing Information Literacy Skills through Faculty-Librarian Collaboration

Academic libraries provide value to their institutions on many levels, one of which is information literacy (IL) instruction. Librarians have the opportunity to guide students through the research process, teach students how to think critically, evaluate resources, and use resources ethically. It is beneficial for librarians to assess student learning after these sessions to demonstrate how libraries support the academic mission of their institutions. This article will address ways to assess the effectiveness of integrating information literacy into college courses by taking a close look at a partnership developed between a professor and two librarians at a small, private four-year institution.     

Building capacity among health care librarians to teach evidence-based practice—an evaluation

Objective:An innovative funding scheme for health care librarians to attend an intensive short course in teaching evidence-based practice was established in the West of England in 2016. This evaluation aims to understand the value of the scheme and the impact of the training opportunity for the librarians, establish an evidence base for continuing with the funding scheme, and inform the development of plans to build additional capacity among health care librarians to provide critical appraisal training.Methods:Seven librarians working in health care system settings were funded by the scheme between 2016 and 2018. Post-course feedback forms gathered initial views on course content and delivery, which informed the development of questions for the qualitative phase of the evaluation. All seven librarians participated in group discussions and individual interviews.Results:The course boosted confidence, provided valuable new skills, and positively impacted careers of the librarians through access to new opportunities. It inspired the development of new approaches to critical appraisal training. An important need was identified among the librarians for more education in teaching. Librarians funded by the scheme have successfully cascaded the training to their colleagues.Conclusion:This evaluation supports the continuation of the funding scheme to further build capacity among health care librarians to teach evidence-based practice. It suggests additional investment in this type of specialist training, as well as in education in teaching skills, would be beneficial for health care librarians. Evidence from this evaluation is informing new plans to support these professionals with the vital service they provide, which contributes to the evidence-based culture of their organizations and to patient outcomes.     

Continuing education as a catalyst for inter-professional collaboration

Do nurses have access to the tools and resources they need for evidence-based practice? Are librarians prepared to work with nurses to provide access to appropriate resources and services, and teach the needed information literacy skills? The authors work with professional library and nursing organizations to present interdisciplinary continuing education to improve the information literacy of nurses and the ability of librarians to provide resources and services that meet nurses' information needs. This article reviews behavioral and practice changes reported by nurses and librarian participants in symposia on evidence-based nursing in March 2001 and May 2003.     

A Review of: “Understanding Healthcare Information. Robinson,Lyn.”

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) as a health care practice is being incorporated into education programs across the spectrum of medical education to develop lifelong learning skills and to enhance the practice of evidence-based health care. Since improving the quality of patient care is the ultimate goal of EBM, EBM learning must be integrated with clinical application, and resulted outcomes must be reflected in learning transfer (or EBM practice) within the context of solving patient problems. Different factors may constitute the context or environment in which EBM is learned, practiced, and sustained. However, these contextual factors are seldom considered and examined in the development, implementation, and evaluation of EBM instruction for learners at different levels. This article will introduce several contextual factors as tips and strategies that affect EBM learning and transfer. Also included in the article are recommended practices for designing effective EBM instruction that would contribute to a sustainable change in learner behavior.     

Digital Scholarship Librarian: What Skills and Competences are Needed to be a Collaborative Librarian

Recently a partnership between digital humanities and digital libraries is being forged, coagulating in a demand for digital humanities centers within academic libraries and an increase in the call for “Digital Scholarship Librarians.” What skills and competences are necessary for librarians to fulfill this new role? and What training allows them to develop these skills? The paper examines the collaborative role of the digital scholarship librarian, what this new role entails and what it means to bring the two areas of practice together. After examining current literature and job applications surrounding this role, the skills needed to fill this role are identified in a case study of a digital humanities project which operated on the collaborative model with digital librarians, together making use of digital methods to answer questions specific to its field. The final section proposes a training agenda by matching current opportunities with the new skill which librarians interested in digital scholarship need to develop.     

Consumer Health Reference Interview: Ideas for Public Librarians

This two-stage study seeks to help public librarians become better prepared, and more confident and competent, when answering medical/health questions. At the first stage, eleven barriers that public librarians often encounter in the consumer health reference interview were identified through a comprehensive literature review, and at the second stage, input from professional consumer health librarians on how to overcome the barriers was gathered via a qualitative survey. Findings of the study provide concrete and practical strategies that will help public librarians more successfully conduct the reference interview to assist library users in their health information-seeking journey.     

Working Toward Scalable Instruction: Creating the RIO Tutorial at the University of Arizona Library

To be considered literate in today's society, it is necessary to possess a set of information skills. Librarians are being called upon to help teach these skills in partnership with faculty. Expedient ways are being sought to facilitate this teaching, especially when institutions are dealing with increased enrollments. How, for example, do 7,000 entering freshmen become information literate? This article will relate the process used to design and create RIO (Research Instruction Online), a Web-based tutorial designed to address identified competencies that comprise required information skills.     

Partnership working in the production of clinical guidelines

This article describes a working partnership between the Cairns Clinical Librarian Service, Health Care Libraries, University of Oxford and the Emergency Department (ED) at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. This collaboration resulted in the establishment of a guideline development group in June 2002. The aim of the group is to produce a set of easily accessible, user-orientated, evidence-based guidelines for the use of clinicians in the Emergency Department, within a realistic timescale. The Cairns Clinical Librarian Project was built on previous models of clinical librarianship and incorporated an evaluation of previous programmes. The objective was to provide information to clinicians at the time and point of need. Consultation with the ED from the outset determined the approach adopted by the Cairns team. Clinical guidelines have been shown to improve clinical practice. Pending the introduction of nationally available protocols, we have begun to establish a collection of evidence-based guidelines using web-based architecture in conjunction with the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust's IT department. A piece of diagnostic analysis was undertaken to ensure a coherent strategy was developed for the guideline project. An 'intermediate approach' was adopted, where existing valid guidelines were modified to fit local circumstances. We strove to be transparent at all times about all aspects of the guideline development process. Formative evaluation has shown how the application of evidence-based health care needs adequate resources and requires people with appropriate knowledge and skills. This article charts the progress of the project and highlights how the partnership between the clinical team and the Clinical Librarian has been deemed to be essential to the success of the project.     

Incorporating the views of obstetric clinicians in implementing evidence-supported labour and delivery suite ward rounds: a case study

Objectives: To implement evidence‐supported delivery suite ward rounds using strategies to overcome barriers. Design: Qualitative case study to identify barriers and a quantitative assessment of outcomes on ward rounds. Method: After an introduction to the proposed evidence‐supported delivery suite ward round reactions were elicited from 15 clinicians. Responses were categorized into barriers related to knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour. Using strategies to overcome these barriers, a weekly evidence‐supported ward round was established. During patient‐centred discussions, clinical questions were formulated. Following literature searches, evidence was acquired and appraised. Results: Clinicians had limited awareness about the potential benefits of a clinical librarian's support during ward rounds. They were unsure of their skills in evidence‐based practice. There was scepticism, fear of loss of autonomy, poor motivation and resistance to change. Clinicians identified several factors that could impinge on their practice. Using appropriate strategies when evidence‐supported ward rounds were conducted, 67 questions were raised. However only seven articles were appraised in time to affect decisions on that ward round. Conclusions: Knowledge of barriers was helpful in developing plans for implementation of evidence‐supported ward rounds. The pilot study indicates the feasibility of this approach.     

Web-based distance continuing education: a new way of thinking for students and instructors

As people have more difficulty taking time away from work to attend conferences and workshops, the idea of offering courses via the Web has become more desirable. Addressing a need voiced by Medical Library Association membership, the authors developed a Web-based continuing-education course on the subject of the librarian's role in evidence-based medicine. The aim of the course was to provide medical librarians with a well-constructed, content-rich learning experience available to them at their convenience via the Web. This paper includes a discussion of the considerations that need to be taken into account when developing Web-based courses, the issues that arise when the information delivery changes from face-to-face to online, the changing role of the instructor, and the pros and cons of offering Web-based versus traditional courses. The results of the beta test and future plans for the course are also discussed.     

Evidence-Based Medicine and the Development of Medical Libraries in China

This article elaborates on the opportunities and challenges that evidence-based medicine (EBM) has posed to the development of medical libraries and summarizes the research in the field of evidence-based medicine and achievements of EBM practice in Chinese medical libraries. Issues such as building collections of information resources, transformation of information services models, human resources management, and training of medical librarians, clinicians, and EBM users are addressed. In view of problems encountered in EBM research and practice, several suggestions are made about important roles medical libraries can play in the future development of EBM in China.     

How academic librarians experience evidence-based practice: A grounded theory model

This study explored academic librarians’ experience of evidence-based practice. A better understanding of evidence-based practice from an empirical basis can help fulfill the aims of evidence-based library and information practice to continuously improve practice and make effective, value-adding decisions about library and information services for their clients and communities. This research uses a constructivist grounded theory approach to investigate the question: How do academic librarians experience evidence-based practice? Thirteen Australian academic librarians participated in semi-structured interviews. The study used the methods of constant comparison to create codes and categories towards constructing a new theoretical model of experiencing evidence-based practice in the academic library context. The model consists of six categories of experiences: empowering, intuiting, affirming, connecting, noticing and impacting. This model can provide a platform for developing support for academic librarians andtheir educators by increasing awareness of various mindsets and actions experienced in the workplace context towards facilitating evidence-based information practice.     

Adopting evidence-based practice in clinical decision making: nurses' perceptions, knowledge, and barriers

Objective:

Evidence-based practice (EBP) provides nurses with a method to use critically appraised and scientifically proven evidence for delivering quality health care to a specific population. The objective of this study was to explore nurses'' awareness of, knowledge of, and attitude toward EBP and factors likely to encourage or create barriers to adoption. In addition, information sources used by nurses and their literature searching skills were also investigated.

Method:

A total of 2,100 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to registered nurses in 2 public hospitals in Singapore, and 1,486 completed forms were returned, resulting in a response rate of 70.8%.

Results:

More than 64% of the nurses expressed a positive attitude toward EBP. However, they pointed out that due to heavy workload, they cannot keep up to date with new evidence. Regarding self-efficacy of EBP-related abilities, the nurses perceived themselves to possess moderate levels of skills. The nurses also felt that EBP training, time availability, and mentoring by nurses with EBP experience would encourage them to implement EBP. The top three barriers to adopting EBP were lack of time, inability to understand statistical terms, and inadequate understanding of the jargon used in research articles. For literature searching, nurses were using basic search features and less than one-quarter of them were familiar with Boolean and proximity operators.

Conclusion:

Although nurses showed a positive attitude toward EBP, certain barriers were hindering their smooth adoption. It is, therefore, desirable that hospital management in Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore, develop a comprehensive strategy for building EBP competencies through proper training. Moreover, hospital libraries should also play an active role in developing adequate information literacy skills among the nurses.

Highlights

• Nurses in Singapore, as in other countries, support the idea of evidence-based practice (EBP) but have limited skills in the area of literature searching and understanding evidence, which limits their use of evidence-based practice.
• Only a small number of nurses were able to pick an appropriate search strategy for a given topic, indicating a lack of basic literature searching skills.
• Sufficient literature searching knowledge is essential to retrieve current, relevant, and accurate evidence. However, a majority of nurses do not know how to properly use Boolean and proximity operators, indexing, truncation, or limits.

Implications

• Librarians need to be part of providing ongoing training for clinical nurses in searching the evidence, especially in hospitals promoting EBP or seeking Magnet status.
• Training is needed for clinical nurses to be able to achieve the use of EBP, and librarians can support this goal by teaching the search strategies portion of an EBP skills course.
• This study''s instrument could be used by librarians as a needs assessment tool to measure their own clinical nurses'' information literacy skills, if justification is needed locally.