Bridging the Gap and Building Relationships:

Successful Outreach to Family Medicine

Katherine Rickett, MSLS, MSEDLiaison Librarian to the Brody School of Medicine

William E. Laupus Health Sciences LibraryEast Carolina University

• The legislature set forth a three-fold mission for the ECU School of Medicine:

• to increase the supply of primary care physicians to serve the state,

• to improve health status of citizens in eastern North Carolina, and

• to enhance the access of minority and disadvantaged students to a medical education.

• The school offers nine residency programs for the specialized training of graduate physicians. The largest is family medicine …

Background questions -

- What is the setting?

- What is your mission?

- Who are your customers?

- What are your priorities?

Good clinical practice should be performed like good jazz, with the physician blending the structure of evidence-based medicine with the appropriate improvisation of clinical experience.

• 'Clinical Jazz,' is an evidence-based medicine conference in which residents and faculty present evidence-based answers to common clinical questions and provide examples of utilizing information technology at the point of care.

• Take advantage of existing connections.

• Add value to them.

• Grand Rounds

• FPIN – Family Physicians Inquiries Network

• Family Medicine Evidence Based Medicine Working Group

• Academic Afternoon• …presentations on core topics

primarily related to inpatient care.• didactic sessions for all residents.

Family medicine faculty, along with other subspecialty faculty, provide a mixture of traditional lectures and hands-on workshops

• Look for opportunities to attend lectures and conferences, sit on committees, etc.

• Identify your champions

• Volunteer to present

• Be an emergency backup

Letters, we get letters…

• Announce Lists• Daily POEMs

– poems@essentialevidenceplus.com

• Guidelines.gov• New Book Email• Greetings to New Faculty• Email lists

– Chairs and Dept Heads– Residency Directors

Stay in touch -

Results• Established place in new resident

orientation schedule• Residents contact me for help

with presentations. • Some apologize for not to asking

for help – they’ve been to classes I’ve taught

• Current faculty refer new faculty, sometimes before I know they have joined the department.

• I am approached for help with grant proposals early in the game.

• Invitation to teach EBM class for other depts

• June 06 – May 07 – 41 service contacts– 7 classes taught

• June 07 – May 08– 136 service contacts– 11 classes taught

• June 08 – August 08– 45 service contacts – 3 classes taught

Katherine Rickett, MSLS, MSEd252-744-2217 888-820-0522

rickettk@ecu.edu• “That’s OUR Librarian”

• Comment from resident leading a tour for prospective residents.

• The librarians here are some of the most helpful you will find anywhere, so please feel free to elicit their help.

–   Family Medicine Intern Survival Manual Quotes and photos taken from the websites of the

Brody School of Medicine http://www.ecu.edu/med/and Laupus Library www.ecu.edu/laupuslibrary