A focus on quality--the library's role in occurrence screening

One of the highest priorities in today's hospitals is the provision of quality care to patients. The medical librarian has an increased responsibility to furnish quality information to the medical staff. Traditional methods of reference service continue to work well, but it is increasingly important for librarians to become more directly involved in hospital quality assurance (QA) activities. Occurrence screening is one system of QA where the librarian can make a difference.     

Effects of Mass and Interpersonal Communication on Breast Cancer Screening: Advancing Agenda-Setting Theory in Health Contexts

Drawing on components of agenda-setting theory and the two-step flow of information from mass media to news audiences, this study examines the effects of mass and interpersonal communication on breast cancer screening practices among college- and middle-aged women (n = 284). We theorized that screening behaviors among younger women would be influenced more by interpersonal sources of information while screening among middle-aged women would be more influenced by exposure to mass-mediated information. Findings supported anticipated patterns, revealing important and varying roles for both mass and interpersonal communication in the health behaviors of women. Implications for health practitioners and campaign planners, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed.