First Class Meeting: Saturday, January 15, 2005
All Classes Held at Arizona Health Sciences Library

Instructor: Sandy Kramer
Head, Information Services
Arizona Health Sciences Library
University of Arizona
1501 North Campbell Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85724
skramer@ahsl.arizona.edu
(520)626-6438

Course Description: This three credit course will focus on the online retrieval and evaluation of medical literature and the issues surrounding provision of timely, relevant, peer-reviewed medical information. Emphasis will be on the development of the intellectual acuity required to provide physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, medical researchers and consumers with targeted responses to medical queries. Current search modalities such as Evidence Based Medicine will be covered both in readings and in class discussions.

Course Schedule: January 15-16, January 29-30 and February 12-13

Requirements: Students will be required to complete assigned readings and conduct independent literature searches of online medical literature. One significant paper and one in-class presentation will be assigned. Details of paper and class presentation will be discussed the first day of class. Required text: Jo Anne Borkman, Jeffrey T. Huber and Fred W. Roper (Editors), Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences (Neal-Schuman, 4th Edition, 2004)

Course Structure: Classes will consist of discussion and hands-on searching of online medical literature databases. Internet resources, health statistics, high impact journal literature, separation of fact from fiction in medical reporting, current issues and opportunities in medical librarianship will be among the topics covered.

Homework: Medical literature searches completed as homework should be submitted before each class. Students must complete assignments individually. Readings must be completed before each class to facilitate group discussions.

Grades:
Homework: 50%
Class participation: 10%
Class presentation: 20%
Paper: 20%

Week 1 January 15th and 16th
Online Searching of Medical Literature

1. Overview of Databases and Internet Resources
2. Pursuit of Accurate, Timely, Cost-Effective Information
3. PubMed Background, MeSH Vocabulary, PubMed Navigation, Search Field Descriptions, Clinical Queries, Evaluation of Search Results
4. Discussion of Paper and Class Presentation
· PubMed Manual distributed in class

Week 2 January 29th and 30th
1. CINAHL & IPA: Background, Vocabulary, Navigation, Search Field Descriptions, Queries and Evaluation of Search Results
2. Drug, Nursing, Psychology and Health Databases: Looking Beyond PubMed
3. Searching and Evaluating Internet Medical Resources
4. Internet Medical, Drug and Nursing Information Resources
5. Consumer Health, Public Health Information Resources
5, Information Aggregators: Dialog, Ovid, National Library of Medicine et al
· Text: Boorkman, J., Huber, J.T. & Roper, F.W. (Ed), Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences. (Neal-Schuman, 4th Edition, 2004) Chapters 1,3,4.
· Baker, L.M. (2004) Information needs at the end of life: a content analysis of one person’s story. Journal Medical Library Association. 92, 1. 78-82.
· Cheng, G.Y. (2004). A study of clinical questions posed by hospital clinicians. Journal of Medical Library Association. 92, 4. 445-58.
· Cogdill, k.W. (2003). Information needs and information seeking in primary care: a study of nurse practitioners. Journal Medical Library Association. 91, 2. 203-15.
· Florance, V., Giuse, N.B. & Ketchell, D.S. (2002). Information in context: integrating information specialists into practice settings. Journal Medical Library Association. 90, 1. 49-58.
· Fulda, P.O., Kwasik, H. (2004). Consumer health information provided by library and hospital Websites in the South Central Region. Journal Medical Library Association. 92, 3. 372-5.
· Nebeker, J.R., Barach, P, & Samore, M.H. (2004). Clarifying adverse drug events: a clinician’s guide to terminology, documentation and reporting. Annals of Internal Medicine. 140, 10. 795-801.
· Worel, S.L. (2004) Journal-citation-seeking behavior at two health sciences libraries. Journal Medical Library Association. 92, 1. 91-4.
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Week 3 February 12th and 13th
1. Current Trends in Online Searching & Medical Librarianship
2. Evidence Based Medicine Queries
3. Medical News – From Talk Shows to the Evening News – Looking for the Truth
4. Medical Librarian as Corporate/Organizational Contributor
5. Class Presentations

· Text: Boorkman, J., Huber, J.T. & Roper, F.W. (Ed), Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences. (Neal-Schuman, 4th Edition, 2004) Chapters 9,10,11
· Davidoff, F., Florance, V. (2000). The informationist: a new health profession? Annals of Internal Medicine. 132, 12. 996-8.
· Levin, A. (2001) The Cochrane Collaboration. Annals of Internal Medicine. 135, 4. 309-12.
· Schacher, L.F. (2001) Clinical librarianship: its value in medical care. Annals of Internal Medicine. 134, 8. 717-20.
· Scherrer, C.S., Jacobson, S. (2002). New measures for new roles: defining and measuring the current practices of health sciences librarians. Journal Medical Library Association. 90, 2. 164-72.
· Seglen, P.O. (1997). Why the impact factor of journals should not be used for evaluating research. British Medical Journal. 314, 7079. 498-502.
· Tenopir, C. King, D.W. & Bush A. (2004) Medical faculty’s use of print and electronic journals: changes over time and in comparison with scientists. Journal Medical Library Association. 92, 2. 233-41.
· Traditi, L.K. et al (2004) From both sides now: librarians’ experiences at the Rocky Mountain Evidence-Based Health Care Workshop. Journal Medical Library Association. 92, 1. 72-7.
· Wallace, M., McMullen, T.D. & Corcoran, K. (2004). Findings from the most recent Medical Library Association salary survey. Journal of the Medical Library Association 92, 4. 465-72.