As part of EvidenceSearch4U, we are trialling a Clinical Question Answering service.
This is a rapid turnaround search providing 3-5 key papers to answer a specific answerable clinical question, preferably supplied in PICO form as well as in narrative form. We aim to provide an answer within one working day where possible, and results will be posted on this site to create an archive of answered questions. Clinical questions don’t just have to be medical, they could be related to nursing, physiotherapy, psychological treatments and so on.
This is an important issue in relation to rapid reviews and is connected with issues that are consistently raised in relation to rapid reviews, that of reproducibility and transparency. The objective of this study was to explore compliance with conduct and reporting guidelines in rapid reviews published or posted online during 2013 and 2014.
book review.Login at top righthand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text . SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you requesting.
book review. Login at top righthand side of page using your SSSFT NHS Athens for full text . SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you requesting.
Writing well for the web is a subset of writing well generally. It's similar to learning to use technology -- once you feel as if you're getting a handle on the ins and outs, the landscape changes. Those people who started writing for print have had to learn blog style, Twitter brevity, hashtag syntax, and emoji etiquette. And yet, they still get emails from patrons in ALL CAPS or ones that contain one-sentence Word document attachments. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
AlltheInternet search engine is a fairly straightforward multi search engine. The home page reminds me of what Yahoo! looked like about a decade or so ago, in that it's broken up into tile type elements, covering popular sites, check your email, games, social, news and so on. It's got a real old style 'portal' feel to it, but it's very US biased, so links to eBay, Craigslist and so on are pointless for those of us in the rest of the world. Also, it's not possible to change any of them, so you're stuck with what someone else has decided is important to you.
The latest HLG newsletter (Volume 33, Number 2, June 2016) is now available. It contains pictures and images which may take a while to print out so readers may want to print the issue in black and white only or use a lower print quality setting.
This study sought to determine whether a flipped classroom that facilitated peer learning would improve undergraduate health sciences students' abilities to find, evaluate, and use appropriate evidence for research assignments. Students completed online modules in a learning management system, with librarians facilitating subsequent student-directed, in-person sessions. Mixed methods assessment was used to evaluate program outcomes. Students learned information literacy concepts but did not consistently apply them in research assignments. Faculty interviews revealed strengthened partnerships between librarians and teaching faculty. This pedagogy shows promise for implementing and evaluating a successful flipped information literacy program. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
The authors explored the feasibility and possible benefit of tablet-based educational materials for patients in clinic waiting areas. They distributed eight tablets preloaded with diagnosis-relevant information in two clinic waiting areas. Patients were surveyed about satisfaction, usability, and effects on learning. Technical issues were resolved. Thirty-seven of forty patients completed the survey. On average, the patients were satisfied in all categories. Placing tablet-based educational materials in clinic waiting areas is relatively easy to implement. Patients using tablets reported satisfaction across three domains: usability, education, and satisfaction.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effectiveness of three web-scale discovery (WSD) tools in answering health sciences search queries. Simple keyword searches, based on topics from six health sciences disciplines, were run at multiple real-world implementations of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), Ex Libris's Primo, and ProQuest's Summon. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Google Scholar is often used to search for medical literature. Numbers of results reported by Google Scholar outperform the numbers reported by traditional databases. For several complex search strategies used in systematic review projects, the number of citations and the total number of versions were calculated. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Most library science surveys use Likert-style questions. After you read a study that reports results from Likert-style questions, you may think about using the results to guide some decision that you need to make. If so, then your job is to understand the validity of the results and how they apply to your decision. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
To identify health-related websites Americans are using, demographic characteristics associated with certain website type and how website type shapes users’ online information seeking experiences.
An e-book published today is the first to comprehensively address the challenges faced by healthcare providers in evaluating system-level innovations in healthcare services in an evolving landscape.
Stephen Fry actor, comedian and writer has given his support to libraries by appearing in a new poster campaign from the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). The poster is available to download for free.
We’re looking to expand our range of literature search services over the next few months, and to re-brand the service as ‘EvidenceSearch4U’.
We are looking at having different levels of service, to suit different requirements
Different approaches to learning, including integrating face to face and e-learning. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
This article reports on research into the reasons why clinical staff in an acute hospital may be reluctant to use library services. The article summarises the key findings from the interviews undertaken as part of the research process and lists the resulting recommendations. Gaynor also highlights the initiatives which have been put in place with the express aim of removing barriers to use and encouraging clinical staff to make the most of the library which is, she argues, a time-saving resource.
Big data, like MOOCs, altmetrics and open access, is a term that has been commonplace in the library community for some time yet, despite its prevalence, many in the library and information sector remain unsure of the relationship between big data and their roles. This editorial explores what big data could mean for the day-to-day practice of health library and information workers, presenting examples of big data in action, considering the ethics of accessing big data sets and the potential for new roles for library and information workers.
Margaret McCartney and colleagues argue that new models of evidence synthesis and shared decision making are needed to accelerate a move from guideline driven care to individualised care. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
If you have access to resources from different institutions (for example University and NHS Athens) and are trying to use them at the same time, then try logging on to one set of resources using a google chrome incognito window.
Note that you aren’t invisible from the network you are on but it might prevent the resource provider from getting confused about which login you are using.
Event description:
ARLG NW are pleased to announce our summer event, “Social media: Can you tell if it’s working yet?”
So your service has started dabbling in social media, or you’ve been working on it for a while. But do you know if it’s working? Is it worth the time and effort you’re putting in? And do you know what your goals are? What’s the point of your social media presence? This afternoon event will address all these questions and more. This event is suitable for people at all stages of planning for their social media presence.
Staff, volunteers and community groups at libraries across Staffordshire are responding by putting their knitting needles to good use knitting Twiddlemuffs for patients with dementia.
And they are looking for more knitters to join them.
So what are Twiddlemuffs?
A Twiddlemuff is a thick hand muff with trimmings such as ribbons, beads, buttons and zips attached to the inside and out, designed to combat restlessness and agitation in dementia patients by keeping their hands busy as well as stimulating the mind.
As part of Staffordshire Libraries’ activities for Dementia Awareness Week, which runs from Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 May, libraries are encouraging residents to join with them to produce Twiddlemuffs to be donated to local charities and dementia friendly groups.
Borrow Box and Comics Plus allow library members to download eBooks, eAudio, eComics and eGraphic novels for free.
There will be free taster sessions for members of the public to learn more about the new free eBook and eAudio service from Borrow Box and the free eComics service from Comics Plus.
GRADE is a method of assessing the certainty in evidence (also known as quality of evidence or confidence in effect estimates) and the strength of recommendations in health care. In the paper the authors acknowledge that trustworthy answers are required across different timeframes, sometimes in just hours.
The Segment Tool has been updated by Public Health England (PHE). [One for the list of useful info sources]
The tool provides information on life expectancy and the causes of death that are driving inequalities in life expectancy at local area level. Targeting the causes of death which contribute most to the life expectancy gap should have the biggest impact on reducing inequalities.
If you're looking for images to use in a presentation or report, it can be a real pain to try and find ones that you can grab without legal problems. LibreStock is a free multi search engine that will check through over 40 different websites to find images that you can use. I quote from the site: "I know it's hard to understand complex legal licenses so let me break it down for you. all the photos indexed on LibreStock are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license. this means you can use these pictures freely for any legal purpose." This means that they are free to use, even commercially, you can modify, copy and distribute, and you don't need to attribute.
Library weeding gets a bad reputation, thanks in part to weeding horror stories. Ideally, a library wouldn't need to perform drastic weeding projects. If a collection is weeded on a regular basis, a section at a time, and maintained well with new materials, it rarely requires a large, hard-to-ignore weed. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Interesting idea! LisaB: Troy University Dean of Library Services Christopher Shaffer brought fitness to the libraries when he made available six exercise bikes that featured tables for laptops, from a company called FitDesk, for student use. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details
Book Review: Find It Fast: Extracting Expert Information from Social Networks, Big Data, Tweets, and More, 6th edition, by Robert Berkman. While intended for the business searcher, the chapters on sources, searching, and experts confirm and expand upon what you may know intuitively. Starting with structuring the search, Berkman moves through some of the best sites for accessing statistics and reaching into the deep web for hard data. He also explains why a library's print resources may still be the best sources.
Shropshire Libraries will be highlighting Reading Well Books on Prescription collections during 16 May to 22 May 2016 week, which is Mental Health Awareness Week and Dementia Awareness Week.
Collections of self-help books chosen by health professionals, covering common mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders and self-harm for adults and young people. You can also find books offering help to people living with dementia, their families and carers, including information and advice, personal stories, and ideas for therapeutic activities.