# Current Research

Compiled by Heather Ganshorn

Aitken EM, Powelson SE, Reaume RD, Ghali WA. Involving clinical librarians at the point of care: Results of a controlled intervention. *Acad Med*. 2011 Dec; 86(12):1508-1512. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e31823595cd. PMID: 22030761.

**Purpose:** To measure the effect of including a clinical librarian in the health care team on medical residents and clinical clerks. **Method:** In 2009, medical residents and clinical clerks were preassigned to one of two patient care teams (intervention and control). Each team had a month-long rotation on the general medicine teaching unit. The clinical librarian joined the intervention team for morning intake, clinical rounding, or an afternoon patient list review, providing immediate literature searches, formal group instruction, informal bedside teaching, and/or individual mentoring for use of preappraised resources and evidence-based medicine search techniques. Both intervention and control teams completed pre- and post-surveys comparing their confidence levels and awareness of resources as well as their self-reported use of evidence for making patient care decisions. The nonintervention team was surveyed as the control group. **Results:** The clinical librarian intervention had a significant positive effect on medical trainees' self-reported ability to independently locate and evaluate evidence resources to support patient care decisions. Notably, 30 of 34 (88%) reported having changed a treatment plan based on skills taught by the clinical librarian, and 27 of 34 (79%) changed a treatment plan based on the librarian's mediated search support. **Conclusions:** Clinical librarians on the care team led to positive effects on self-reported provider attitudes, provider information retrieval tendencies, and, notably, clinical decision making. Future research should evaluate economic effects of widespread implementation of on-site clinical librarians.

Crum JA. An availability study of electronic articles in an academic health sciences library. *J Med Libr Assoc*. 2011 October; 99(4): 290–296. doi: 10.3163/1536-5050. 99.4.006. PMID: 22025906.

**Objectives:** The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the number of articles requested by library users that could be retrieved from the library's collection using the library catalog and link resolver, in other words, the availability rate; and (2) to identify the nature and frequency of problems encountered in this process,

so that the problems could be addressed and access to full-text articles could be improved.

**Methods:** A sample of 414 requested articles was identified via link resolver log files. Library staff attempted to retrieve these articles using the library catalog and link resolver and documented access problems. **Results:** Staff were able to retrieve electronic full text for 310 articles using the catalog. An additional 21 articles were available in print, for an overall availability rate of nearly 80%. Only 68% (280) of articles could be retrieved electronically via the link resolver. The biggest barriers to access in both instances were lack of holdings and incomplete coverage. The most common problem encountered when retrieving articles via the link resolver was incomplete or inaccurate metadata. **Conclusion:** An availability study is a useful tool for measuring the quality of electronic access provided by a library and identifying and quantifying barriers to access.

Dinkleman AL, Viera AR, Bickett-Weddle DA. The role of veterinary medical librarians in teaching information literacy. *J Vet Med Educ*. 2011 Summer; 38(2): 141-9. doi: 10.3138/jvme.38.2.141. PMID: 22023922.

This qualitative study seeks to determine the nature of the instruction librarians provide to veterinary medical students at all 28 United States veterinary colleges. A secondary goal of the study was to determine in what ways and to what extent librarians participated in other instructional activities at their colleges. Over half of the librarians formally taught in one or more courses, predominantly in the first two years of the veterinary curriculum. One presentation per course was most common. Over half of the librarians interviewed stated that evidence-based veterinary medicine was taught at their colleges, and about half of these librarians collaborated with veterinary faculty in this instruction. Many librarians participated in orientation for first-year veterinary students. The librarians also taught instructional sessions for residents, interns, faculty, graduate students, and practicing veterinarians. This study found that librarians teach information literacy skills both formally and informally, but, in general, instruction by librarians was not well integrated into the curriculum. This study advances several recommendations to help veterinary students develop information literacy skills. These include: encourage veterinary faculty and administrators to collaborate more closely with librarians, incorporate a broader array of
information literacy skills into assignments, and add a literature evaluation course to the curriculum.

Li P, Wu L. Supporting evidence-based medicine: A survey of U.S. medical librarians. *Med Ref Serv Q.* 2011 Oct. 30(4); 365-81. doi: 10.1080/02763869.2011.609069. PMID: 22040243.

This study sought to identify medical librarians' roles in supporting evidence-based medicine (EBM) practice; determine whether medical librarians' work settings, work experiences, or job titles made a difference in their EBM responsibilities; and find out medical librarians' perceptions of their roles in EBM practice. An online survey was distributed to U.S. medical librarians. The results showed that medical librarians had positive perceptions of their EBM-related responsibilities, which were diverse and specific. Their work experience, work settings, and job title categories related to some of their EBM responsibilities, as well as the nature of some of the responsibilities.

Sutton A, Grant MJ. Cost-effective ways of delivering enquiry services: A rapid review. *Health Info Libr J.* 2011 Dec; 28(4):321-325. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2011.00965.x. PMID: 22051123.

**Background:** In the recent times of recession and budget cuts, it is more important than ever for library and

information services to deliver cost-effective services. **Objectives:** This rapid review aims to examine the evidence for the most cost-effective ways of delivering enquiry services. **Methods:** A literature search was conducted on LISA (Library and Information Sciences Abstracts) and MEDLINE. Searches were limited to 2007 onwards. **Results:** Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies covered hospital and academic libraries in the USA and Canada. Services analysed were 'point-of-care' librarian consultations, staffing models for reference desks and virtual/digital reference services. **Conclusions:** Transferable lessons, relevant to health library and information services generally, can be drawn from this rapid review. These suggest that 'point-of-care' librarians for primary care practitioners are a cost-effective way of answering questions. Reference desks can be cost-effectively staffed by student employees or general reference staff, although librarian referral must be provided for more complex and subject-specific enquiries. However, it is not possible to draw any conclusions on virtual/digital reference services because of the limited literature available. Further case analysis studies measuring specific services, particularly enquiry services within a health library and information context, are required.