Introduction to sources of medical information Back to basics in reference work Philosophy of information service, where to look for authoritative answers; evaluation The reference interview in medicine Types of health information (i.e. patient groups & consumers; health professionals) Most common questions; categories, facets & ‘pearls’  On the wiki: Reference services: http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/Reference_services The information needs of users:

http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/Information_needs_of_users Medical vocabulary, prefixes & suffixes:

http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/Medical_vocabulary

Reading:• Browne R, Lasserre K, McTaggart J, Bayley L, McKibbon

 A, Clark M, Perry GJ, Murphy J. International trends in health science librarianship: part 1 - the English speaking world. Health Info Libr J. 2012 Mar;29(1):75-80.

 

Introduction to sources of health & medical information

Various activities, interactions in class…

Discuss what health libraries doTake 2-3 minutes to think about……what makes health libraries unique?

 Write down some ideas….

be prepared to brainstorm with instructor

What is a source of information?

Take 2-3 minutes 

Think broadly about what you THINK makes a source of information…

How is a reference source related/different from “any source”?

Write down an idea or two & share it

What is a reference source?

• To look up, consult – rather than read from cover to cover

• Provide foundation & lead to other types of information such as primary, secondary – & tertiary sources of information

• It provides access to organized information

What makes a good reference interview?

What does Bill Katz say?

“…reference work is viewed in terms of questions and answers. A patron has a question and expects the library to provide an answer, 

or at least where it can be found.”

The reference encounter

William A. Katz. Introduction to reference work, Vol. 1: Basic

information sources. 3e. New York N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Press, 1978.

…“[medical reference] … may be defined as activities that provide information to accomplish the goals of the organization. These include literature and database searches, ready reference, Internet training, document delivery and outreach services.”

. Ruth Holst. MLA Guide to Managing Health Libraries. New York: Neal Schuman, 2010

What a medical reference encounter is like

Episteme: Greek for ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’…is the body of ideas that determine knowledge in a given area

What is an almanac?

almanac (fr. Arabic al-manakh) (14th cent.) 

Contains miscellany, astronomical & meteorological data for given year; country; tabular & general information; a lot of health-related information, including health care costs & statistical information

Almanac

Source: Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, 3ed

What purpose does a human atlas serve in medicine?

Atlas

e.g., MedlinePlus Anatomy Frank Netter’s Atlas of anatomy Gray's Anatomy

Drug sources – Canada

Call # QV 55 C362 2006Drugs – Popular Works

Call # 615.1 B65uDrugs – Canada

Pharmacopoeias--Canada 

• What do ‘handbook’ & ‘manual’ have in common?

• Quick look at data, facts & information

• Provide principles & important facts of medical topic

Medical handbooks & manuals

The reference interview in health

. respect privacy/confidentiality (in person & online)

. provide a safe, private place 

. listen closely, be empathetic 

. be aware of emotions & body language 

. use reassuring phrases …”I’m here to help”

. know limits of your collection & expertise

. refer question if necessary

Daily issues in health libraries

• Access, authority, evidence

• Reference interview 

• Collection development, expertise, “Know your collection”

• Libraries don’t have access to doctor/patient charts 

• Do you provide consumer level information only? selective reference?

• Referral - as we do not dispense advice, how is this done 

• Privacy, confidentiality

• Understanding users’ information needs

• Culture, language, general literacy, Canadian context

• Foreign language materials vital

• Literacy - reading level of user to material selected

• Knowing “health literacy” level of patient

• Emotional issues around disease/prognoses

Daily challenges for health librarians

Artist Alireza Darvish