Implementing a Personal Librarian Program to Rebuild Connections With Medical Students.

Health sciences librarians may be experiencing a fundamental sense of disconnection from medical students as the reliance on online resources and post-pandemic acceptance of remote learning chip away at use of the physical library. In response, librarians have investigated a variety of virtual approaches to counter the loss of face-to-face contact with patrons. Numerous reports in the literature explore ways to build virtual relationships with patrons. This case study discusses a project by the Savitt Medical Library of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine to implement a Personal Librarian Program that promoted communication between librarians and learners.

Current practices in library/informatics instruction in academic libraries serving medical schools in the Western United States: a three-phase action research study.

BACKGROUND: To conduct a systematic assessment of library and informatics training at accredited Western U.S. medical schools. To provide a structured description of core practices, detect trends through comparisons across institutions, and to identify innovative training approaches at the medical schools. METHODS: Action research study pursued through three phases. The first phase used inductive analysis on reported library and informatics skills training via publicly-facing websites at accredited medical schools and the academic health sciences libraries serving those medical schools. Phase Two consisted of a survey of the librarians who provide this training to undergraduate medical education students at the Western U.S. medical schools. The survey revealed gaps in forming a complete picture of current practices, thereby generating additional questions that were answered through the Phase Three in-depth interviews. RESULTS: Publicly-facing websites reviewed in Phase One offered uneven information about library and informatics training at Western U.S. medical schools. The Phase Two survey resulted in a 77% response rate. The survey produced a clearer picture of current practices of library and informatics training. The survey also determined the readiness of medical students to pass certain aspects of the United States Medical Licensure Exam. Most librarians interacted with medical school curricular leaders through either curricula committees or through individual contacts. Librarians averaged three (3) interventions for training within the four-year curricula with greatest emphasis upon the first and third years. Library/informatics training was integrated fully into the respective curricula in almost all cases. Most training involved active learning approaches, specifically within Problem-Based Learning or Evidence-Based Medicine contexts. The Phase Three interviews revealed that librarians are engaged with the medical schools' curricular leaders, they are respected for their knowledge and teaching skills, and that they need to continually adapt to changes in curricula. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers a long overdue, systematic view of current practices of library/informatics training at Western U.S. medical schools. Medical educators, particularly curricular leaders, will find opportunities in this study's results for more productive collaborations with the librarians responsible for library and informatics training at their medical schools.

Evaluation from start to finish: Incorporating comprehensive assessment into a training program for public health professionals.

This article examines the role of a comprehensive evaluation process in the context of a program to enhance use of the Internet by public health professionals. The Public Health Information Link for Nevada incorporated training and Web site development into a program to raise levels of awareness and competence of the public health professional. Evaluation played a key and ongoing role in the planning and implementation phases and made a marked contribution to the overall effectiveness of the project. Evaluation contributed to the ability to make midprogram adjustments, thereby enhancing user satisfaction and confidence. Participant evaluations indicated significant improvement in self-perceived competence in utilizing the Internet for job-related activities. The authors conclude that the effort to integrate evaluation in an ongoing manner is balanced by the value of continuous feedback. A Web site review checklist, which will be useful to public health professionals who are developing new Web sites, is appended.

Tablet computers in support of rural and frontier clinical practice.

PURPOSE: Healthcare organizations are increasingly faced with an environment in which they must implement health information systems to achieve higher standards for efficiency and quality of care while at the same time being asked to provide needed services with fewer resources. This is particularly challenging for rural health systems where access to resources is often more limited. This study investigates the potential value of iPad tablets for enhancing health services delivery by primary care physicians in rural Nevada. METHODS: Five physicians from rural Nevada were selected to receive iPads and funding for apps that would enhance their medical practices. Following a year of use, data was gathered on each physician's actual use and perceived value of the iPads. A case study approach was taken using both an online survey and semi-structured phone interviews to collect case data. RESULTS: Use and perceived usefulness of the iPad was mixed but generally positive with some physicians utilizing it much more than others. The iPads were primarily used by the physicians to access medical information through online resources (e.g. Epocrates and UpToDate) for reference and diagnostic purposes, although they were also used for some interaction with patients. All felt that resources available through the iPad were limited and that better applications would improve the usefulness of the iPad, particularly in regard to graphical and video content suitable to sharing with patients. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians in this study felt that the iPad could fill a need between smartphones and desktops, which were their primary technology tools prior to receiving the iPad, but that useful medical applications and resources are currently limited for the iPad. In particular, better graphical and video content would improve the usefulness of the iPad as a tool for patient interactions. Apps that store content locally would serve to mitigate inconsistent internet access that is still common in rural settings, increasing the usefulness of the iPad in that context. Tablets like the iPad also have potential for use in accessing the electronic medical record systems that are increasingly being implemented in rural hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Bridging the distance: bibliographic instruction for remote library users.

Electronic information resources are proliferating, library collections are increasingly accessible via the Internet, and the number of end users who access library resources remotely is on the rise. Changes in user behavior drives a corresponding change in the way instructional programs must be delivered to meet the needs of remote library users. This paper discusses some technologies currently available for remote instruction, assesses their use, and offers views on future trends.

Using focus groups to guide development of a public health Web site.

This paper explores a project funded through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine to enhance effective use of the Internet by public health professionals. The processes and outcome of an effort to develop a statewide Web site for public health professionals are described. A series of focus groups was conducted as a preliminary data-gathering tool to evaluate the information needs of the target population. Results of the focus group provided a valuable framework upon which to build a successful schema for Web site development.