Why equating all evidence searches to systematic reviews defies their role in information seeking.

All too often the quality and rigor of topic investigations is inaccurately conveyed to information professionals, resulting in a mischaracterization of the research, which, if left unchecked and published, may in turn mislead potential readers. Accurately understanding and categorizing the types of topic investigation searches that are requested of information professionals is critical to both meeting requestors' needs and reflecting their intended methodological approaches. Information professionals' expertise can be an invaluable resource to guide users through the investigative and publication process.

Guiding Oncology Patients Through the Maze of Precision Medicine.

As the role of genomics in health care grows, patients increasingly require adequate genetic literacy to fully engage in their care. This study investigated a model for delivering consumer-friendly genetic information to improve understanding of precision medicine using health literacy and learning style principles. My Cancer Genome (MCG), a freely available cancer decision support tool, was used as a testbed. MCG content on a melanoma tumor mutation, BRAF V600E, was translated to a 6th-grade reading level, incorporating multiple learning modalities. A total of 90 patients and caregivers were recruited from a melanoma clinic at an academic medical center and randomized to 3 groups. Group A (control) received an exact copy of text from MCG. Group B was given the same content with hyperlinks to videos explaining key genetic concepts, identified and labeled by the team as knowledge pearls. Group C received the translated content with the knowledge pearls embedded. Changes in knowledge were measured through pre and post questionnaires. Group C showed the greatest improvement in knowledge. The study results demonstrate that providing information based on health literacy and learning style principles can improve patients' understanding of genetic concepts, thus increasing their likelihood of taking an active role in any decision making concerning their health.

Strategically aligning a mandala of competencies to advance a transformative vision.

OBJECTIVE: This paper offers insight into the processes that have shaped the Eskind Biomedical Library's (EBL's) strategic direction and its alignment to the institution's transformative vision. SETTING: The academic biomedical library has a notable track record for developing and pioneering roles for information professionals focused on a sophisticated level of information provision that draws from and fuels practice evolutions. STRATEGY: The medical center's overall transformative vision informs the creation of a fully aligned library strategic plan designed to effectively contribute to the execution of key organizational goals. Annual goals reflect organizational priorities and contain quantifiable and measurable deliverables. Two strategic themes, facilitating genetic literacy and preserving community history, are described in detail to illustrate the concept of goal setting. CONCLUSION: The strategic planning model reflects EBL's adaptation to the ever-changing needs of its organization. The paper provides a characterization of a workable model that can be replicated by other institutions.

Using SPI-Hub™ to Promote the Key Role of Prepublishing in Healthcare.

With the need to quickly advance knowledge dissemination in rapid-paced fields, and more recently in response to the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic, prepublishing has been brought to the forefront. SPI-Hub™, a publicly available journal selection decision support tool, is being strategically enhanced to address prospective authors' critical needs in navigating and selecting the most appropriate preprint or traditional publication venue.

When Enough Is Enough: Decision Criteria for Moving a Known Drug into Clinical Testing for a New Indication in the Absence of Preclinical Efficacy Data.

Many animal models of disease are suboptimal in their representation of human diseases and lack of predictive power in the success of pivotal human trials. In the context of repurposing drugs with known human safety, it is sometimes appropriate to conduct the "last experiment first," that is, progressing directly to human investigations. However, there are not accepted criteria for when to proceed straight to humans to test a new indication. We propose a specific set of criteria to guide the decision-making around when to initiate human proof of principle without preclinical efficacy studies in animal models. This approach could accelerate the transition of novel therapeutic approaches to human applications.

My Cancer Genome: Evaluating an Educational Model to Introduce Patients and Caregivers to Precision Medicine Information.

This study tested an innovative model for creating consumer-level content about precision medicine based on health literacy and learning style principles. "Knowledge pearl" videos, incorporating multiple learning modalities, were created to explain genetic and cancer medicine concepts. Cancer patients and caregivers (n=117) were randomized to view professional-level content directly from the My Cancer Genome (MCG) website (Group A; control), content from MCG with knowledge pearls embedded (Group B), or a consumer translation, targeted at the sixth grade level, with knowledge pearls embedded (Group C). A multivariate analysis showed that Group C, but not Group B, showed greater knowledge gains immediately after viewing the educational material than Group A. Statistically significant group differences in test performance were no longer observed three weeks later. These findings suggest that adherence to health literacy and learning style principles facilitates comprehension of precision medicine concepts and that ongoing review of the educational information is necessary.