Effects of Librarian-provided Services in Healthcare Settings: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal J Am Med Inform Assoc

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Medical Informatics

Date 2014 May 30

PMID 24872341

Citations 12

Authors

Laure Perrier

Ann Farrell

A Patricia Ayala

David Lightfoot

Tim Kenny

Ellen Aaronson

Nancy Allee

Tara Brigham

Elizabeth Connor

Teodora Constantinescu

Joanne Muellenbach

Helen-Ann Brown Epstein

Ardis Weiss

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effects of librarian-provided services in healthcare settings on patient, healthcare provider, and researcher outcomes.

Materials And Methods: Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to June 2013. Studies involving librarian-provided services for patients encountering the healthcare system, healthcare providers, or researchers were eligible for inclusion. All librarian-provided services in healthcare settings were considered as an intervention, including hospitals, primary care settings, or public health clinics.

Results: Twenty-five articles fulfilled our eligibility criteria, including 22 primary publications and three companion reports. The majority of studies (15/22 primary publications) examined librarians providing instruction in literature searching to healthcare trainees, and measured literature searching proficiency. Other studies analyzed librarian-provided literature searching services and instruction in question formulation as well as the impact of librarian-provided services on patient length of stay in hospital. No studies were found that investigated librarians providing direct services to researchers or patients in healthcare settings.

Conclusions: Librarian-provided services directed to participants in training programs (eg, students, residents) improve skills in searching the literature to facilitate the integration of research evidence into clinical decision-making. Services provided to clinicians were shown to be effective in saving time for health professionals and providing relevant information for decision-making. Two studies indicated patient length of stay was reduced when clinicians requested literature searches related to a patient's case.

Citing Articles

The evolution of our profession and association from 1998-2023: reflections from four Medical Library Association leaders.

Alpi K, Esparza J, Green B, Jones S J Med Libr Assoc. 2024; 112(3):205-213.

PMID: 39308909 PMC: 11412130. DOI: 10.5195/jmla.2024.1948.

Integrating Medical Librarians Into Infectious Disease Rounding Teams: Survey Results From a Pilot Implementation Study.

Vogel M, Yaeger L, Burnham J Open Forum Infect Dis. 2024; 11(5):ofae218.

PMID: 38798892 PMC: 11127477. DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae218.

Essential content for teaching implementation practice in healthcare: a mixed-methods study of teams offering capacity-building initiatives.

Reszel J, Daub O, Leese J, Augustsson H, Bellows D, Cassidy C Implement Sci Commun. 2023; 4(1):151.

PMID: 38012798 PMC: 10680357. DOI: 10.1186/s43058-023-00525-0.

CHLA Standards for Library and Information Services in Canadian Health & Social Services Institutions 2020.

Frati F, Oja L, Kleinberg J J Can Health Libr Assoc. 2022; 42(1):14-44.

PMID: 35949504 PMC: 9327607. DOI: 10.29173/jchla29526.

Clinical informationist participation in grand round sessions of gastroenterology department: An action research study.

Zare-Farashbandi E, Adibi P, Rahimi A, Zare-Farashbandi F J Educ Health Promot. 2021; 10:300.

PMID: 34667800 PMC: 8459861. DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_576_20.

References

Carlock D, Anderson J . Teaching and assessing the database searching skills of student nurses. Nurse Educ. 2007; 32(6):251-5. DOI: 10.1097/01.NNE.0000299477.57185.ba. View

Chen H, Tan J, OSullivan P, Boscardin C, Li A, Muller J . Impact of an information retrieval and management curriculum on medical student citations. Acad Med. 2009; 84(10 Suppl):S38-41. DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181b36fba. View

Coumou H, Meijman F . How do primary care physicians seek answers to clinical questions? A literature review. J Med Libr Assoc. 2006; 94(1):55-60. PMC: 1324772. View

Berkman N, Sheridan S, Donahue K, Halpern D, Viera A, Crotty K . Health literacy interventions and outcomes: an updated systematic review. Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep). 2012; (199):1-941. PMC: 4781058. View

McGowan J, Hogg W, Zhong J, Zhao X . A cost-consequences analysis of a primary care librarian question and answering service. PLoS One. 2012; 7(3):e33837. PMC: 3307768. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033837. View

Rosenberg W, Deeks J, Lusher A, Snowball R, Dooley G, Sackett D . Improving searching skills and evidence retrieval. J R Coll Physicians Lond. 1999; 32(6):557-63. PMC: 9662986. View

Sampson M, McGowan J, Cogo E, Grimshaw J, Moher D, Lefebvre C . An evidence-based practice guideline for the peer review of electronic search strategies. J Clin Epidemiol. 2009; 62(9):944-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.10.012. View

Ely J, Osheroff J, Chambliss M, Ebell M, Rosenbaum M . Answering physicians' clinical questions: obstacles and potential solutions. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2004; 12(2):217-24. PMC: 551553. DOI: 10.1197/jamia.M1608. View

McGowan J, Hogg W, Campbell C, Rowan M . Just-in-time information improved decision-making in primary care: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2008; 3(11):e3785. PMC: 2583045. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003785. View

10.

Gruppen L, Rana G, Arndt T . A controlled comparison study of the efficacy of training medical students in evidence-based medicine literature searching skills. Acad Med. 2005; 80(10):940-4. DOI: 10.1097/00001888-200510000-00014. View

11.

Haynes R, Johnston M, McKibbon K, Walker C, Willan A . A program to enhance clinical use of MEDLINE. A randomized controlled trial. Online J Curr Clin Trials. 1993; Doc No 56:[4005 words; 39 paragraphs]. View

12.

Bradley D, Rana G, Martin P, Schumacher R . Real-time, evidence-based medicine instruction: a randomized controlled trial in a neonatal intensive care unit. J Med Libr Assoc. 2002; 90(2):194-201. PMC: 100764. View

13.

Wagner K, Byrd G . Evaluating the effectiveness of clinical medical librarian programs: a systematic review of the literature. J Med Libr Assoc. 2004; 92(1):14-33. PMC: 314100. View

14.

Kolner S, Dalrymple P, Christiansen R . Teaching skills in medical information retrieval to medical students. J Med Educ. 1986; 61(11):906-10. DOI: 10.1097/00001888-198611000-00007. View

15.

Frasca M, Dorsch J, Aldag J, CHRISTIANSEN R . A multidisciplinary approach to information management and critical appraisal instruction: a controlled study. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1992; 80(1):23-8. PMC: 225611. View

16.

Gardois P, Calabrese R, Colombi N, Deplano A, Lingua C, Longo F . Effectiveness of bibliographic searches performed by paediatric residents and interns assisted by librarians. A randomised controlled trial. Health Info Libr J. 2011; 28(4):273-84. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2011.00957.x. View

17.

Brettle A, Raynor M . Developing information literacy skills in pre-registration nurses: an experimental study of teaching methods. Nurse Educ Today. 2012; 33(2):103-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2011.12.003. View

18.

Winning M, Beverley C . Clinical librarianship: a systematic review of the literature. Health Info Libr J. 2003; 20 Suppl 1:10-21. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2532.20.s1.2.x. View

19.

Ely J, Osheroff J, Ebell M, Chambliss M, Vinson D, Stevermer J . Obstacles to answering doctors' questions about patient care with evidence: qualitative study. BMJ. 2002; 324(7339):710. PMC: 99056. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.324.7339.710. View

20.

Fozi K, Teng C, Krishnan R, Shajahan Y . A study of clinical questions in primary care. Med J Malaysia. 2001; 55(4):486-92. View