working environments of hospital librarians supportive of evidence-based health care

This article was downloaded by: [University of Sheffield]On: 15 November 2014, At: 02:36Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH,UK

Journal of HospitalLibrarianshipPublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/whos20

Working Environments ofHospital Librarians Supportiveof Evidence-Based Health CareCleo Pappas aa University of Illinois at Chicago, Library of theHealth Sciences , Chicago, ILPublished online: 07 Sep 2008.

To cite this article: Cleo Pappas (2008) Working Environments of Hospital LibrariansSupportive of Evidence-Based Health Care, Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 8:3,278-294, DOI: 10.1080/15323260802209393

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15323260802209393

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all theinformation (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform.However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness,or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and viewsexpressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of theContent should not be relied upon and should be independently verified withprimary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for anylosses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages,and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or

http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/whos20

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1080/15323260802209393

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15323260802209393

indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of theContent.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes.Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan,sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found athttp://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Journal of Hospital Librarianship, Vol. 8(3) 2008Available online at http://jhspl.haworthpress.com

© 2008 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.278 doi:10.1080/15323260802209393

WHOS1532-32691532-3277Journal of Hospital Librarianship, Vol. 8, No. 3, June 2008: pp. 1–28Journal of Hospital Librarianship

Working Environments of Hospital Librarians Supportive of

Evidence-Based Health CareCleo PappasJournal of Hospital Librarianship Cleo Pappas

ABSTRACT. Hospital librarians report that they are supportingevidence-based healthcare in their hospitals and contributions of medicallibrarians to the EBHC process are recognized in the literature. This articledescribes the work environment of hospital librarians who participated in asurvey on hospital librarians promotion, understanding, and exposure toEBHC.

KEYWORDS. Hospital librarians, evidence-based health care, question-naires, work environment

INTRODUCTION

Evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) is the term used to describe the useof statistically significant research along with physician experience, skill,and judgment to support clinical decision-making regarding a specific

Cleo Pappas is Assistant Information Services Librarian & Assistant Professor,University of Illinois at Chicago, Library of the Health Sciences, Chicago, IL (E-mail:[email protected]).

The author would like to acknowledge the generous assistance and support ofAnnie Armstrong, John Cullars, Sandy De Groote, Ruth Holst, Mary Fran Prottsman,Carol Scherrer, and Ann Weller. Thanks to Lisa Wallis of Northeastern Universityfor her assistance with statistical analysis.

A preliminary version of this article was presented at MLA ‘07, the annualmeeting of the Medical Library Association, Philadelphia, PA, May 22, 2007.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 279

patient. Sackett et al. define evidence-based medicine (EBM), the originalacronym for EBHC, as “the integration of best research evidence withclinical expertise and patient values” (1).

The contributions of medical librarians to the process of EBHC are rec-ognized. “Medical librarians typically contribute to patient care from theconfines of the library in response to practitioners’ requests for literaturesearches, information pearls, and evidence-based information (2)”. Somelibrarians attend morning report to facilitate the EBHC process (3). Bankset al. report a decreased length of stay when a librarian attends morningreport and afterwards disseminates a computerized literature search (4).

This article reports data that describes the work environment of hospi-tal librarians who are receptive to EBHC to the degree that they agreed toparticipate in a larger survey of hospital librarians’ promotion of, under-standing of, and exposure to EBHC (5). A theoretical understanding ofwork environment characteristics of librarians receptive to EBHC mayaffect the degree of support librarians wishing to promote EBHC withinthe hospital library setting receive and inform the hiring process of insti-tutions wishing to promote EBHC.

HYPOTHESIS

Librarian pursuit of continuing education, institutional financialsupport for the librarian’s continuing education, hospital size, medicaleducation within the hospital, librarian participation in hospital educa-tional activities, and clinician attitudes may reflect or influence a hospitallibrarian’s receptivity to and promotion of EBHC.

METHODOLOGY

There are two types of surveys: descriptive and analytical. A descrip-tive survey aims to collect or document information regarding largegroups; whereas, an analytical survey delineates subgroups within apopulation (6). A descriptive survey “involves asking the same set ofquestions . . . of a large number of individuals either by mail, by tele-phone, or in person.

Because the purpose of the research was to determine a set of charac-teristics or a description of a population, the method chosen for the studywas a descriptive survey. “The major purpose of surveys is to describe the

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

280 JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL LIBRARIANSHIP

characteristics of a population” (7). When such information is collected atone point in time, the survey is called a cross-sectional survey.

This study is based on a cross-sectional survey consisting of 32 ques-tions distributed to members of the Hospital Libraries Section (HLS) ofthe Medical Library Association (MLA), a section comprised of approxi-mately 1200 members. The HLS is the largest of the MLA sections (8).Questions in the survey were designed to determine characteristics withinthe hospital environment that may affect the hospital librarian’s receptiv-ity to and promotion of EBHC. Characteristics examined included thenumber of days worked per week, number of literature searches requestedper week, institutional support for librarian continuing education, instruc-tion in EBHC within the institution, size of hospital, presence of medicaleducation within the hospital, primary means of keeping current, and cli-nician attitudes towards EBHC.

Participation involved the completion of a self-administered web-based survey accessible only by a link within the e-mail invitation(Appendix 1). The e-mail invitation served as the consent form. In thesurvey, EBHC practice was defined as: “The process of systematicallyfinding, appraising, and using contemporaneous research findings as thebasis for clinical decisions . . . It includes formulating a clear clinicalquestion from a patient’s problem; searching the literature for relevantclinical articles; evaluating (critically appraising) the evidence for itsvalidity and usefulness; implementing useful findings in clinical practice”(9). The survey was piloted with University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)colleagues; however, that data were not included in the final examinationof data.

Sample

The target population in a study consists of the group to which theresearcher hopes to extrapolate the findings of the study (7). The targetpopulation in this study was hospital librarians. A sample is derived fromthe population and should be representative of the population (7). Thesample selected from that target population was the HLS of MLA, a sec-tion comprised of approximately 1200 members.

Gender/Minority Inclusion

No one was excluded from the study based on any other criteria such asgender or minority status. The only criterion for inclusion in the studywas current status as a member of the HLS of the MLA. The survey was

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 281

e-mailed to the discussion list of the section in November 2006. Twoe-mail reminders were sent, and the survey remained open for 35 days.

RESULTS

Two hundred and six results were received. Countries represented wereCanada, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, and the United States, includingGuam. The three states with the largest responses were California with11.6 % (n = 24/206), Pennsylvania at 7.7% (n = 16/206), and Illinois at5.8% (n = 12/206). Most of the respondents reported a Master’s Degree inLibrary Science, 89.7% (n = 183/204), and had worked in health scienceslibraries for more than 5 years, 90.7% (n = 186/205) (5). The datareported from this citation discuss the attitudes towards EBHC of thissame group of hospital librarians. The current paper, however, examineselements of their work environment.

Institutional Support for Librarian Continuing Education

Only 10.4% (n = 21/202) of librarians surveyed reported receiving nofinancial support from their institutions for their continuing education(see Table 1).

EBHC Classes

Participants who reported taking a formal class in EBHC were 59.7%(n = 123/206). Classes with MLA credit were attended by 65.0% (n = 80/123) librarians. Both tuition and paid professional leave to attend classeswere provided by sponsoring institutions to 91% (n = 112/123) librarians.The number of respondents indicating an interest in learning more aboutEBHC was 89.3% (n = 184/206).

TABLE 1. How Much Funding Does Your Hospital Budget for Your Continuing Education?

Funds Allocated Annually Response Percent Response Total

No funds 10.4% 21<$100–$499 14.9% 30$500–$1,000 20.8% 42$1000+ 29.7% 60Allocated on a case by case basis 17.3% 35

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14


Teaching EBHC

Thirty-six point eight percent (n = 76/206) indicated that someoneoffers formal classes in EBHC in their hospital. Of those, 48.6% (n = 37/76) said that physicians offer the classes. Nurses were reported to offerthe classes in 31.5% (n = 24/76) of the responses. Twenty-six point threepercent (n = 20/76) indicated other librarians offer the class, while 56.5%(n = 43/76) said they themselves offer the class.

Of the 60.5% (n = 123/203) who reported taking a formal class inEBHC, only 20.8 % (n = 43/206) reported offering formal EBHC classes.

Work Environment

Sixty-six point eight percent (n = 135/202) librarians reported perform-ing between 10–50 searches per month. (see Table 2).

Physicians, nurses, and pharmacists requested searches regularly oroccasionally most often (see Table 3).

Hospital size varied, with 67.5% (= 139/206) of respondents reportingthat they work in hospitals with between 100–500 staffed beds (see Table 4).

TABLE 2. How Many Searches Do You Perform Per Month?

Searches per Month Response Percent Response Total

> 10 13.9% 2810 – 25 32.7% 6626 – 50 34.2% 6951 – 100 15.8% 32>100 3.5% 7

TABLE 3. For Whom Do You Perform Literature Searches?

Requestor Percentage Number

Physicians 98.0% N = 199/203Nurses 96.1% N = 198/206Pharmacists 80.5% N = 137/197Administrators 65.9% N = 128/194Consumers 50.2% N = 99/197Medical students 45.4% N = 84/185

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 283

Twenty-six point eight percent (n = 55/205) stated that they do notwork in a teaching hospital. Those reporting that medical students work attheir hospital were 61.0% (n = 125/205), and 67.8% (n = 139/205)reported the hospitals have residency programs. Thirty-seven point onepercent (n = 76/205) reported that their hospitals sponsor one or morefellowship programs.

Attendance at meetings as their primary means of keeping currentwas chosen by 90.7% (n = 187/205), while 70.8% (n = 146/205) addedconferring with colleagues as a resource. Discussion lists were cited asthe means to keeping abreast of professional developments by 80.0%(n = 164/205). The same number reported reading journals to keep upto date, while 74.2% (n = 152/205) said they attend CE classes toremain current.

Librarian Continuing Education

One of the personal competencies listed in the Competencies for SpecialLibrarians of the 21st Century states that the librarian “is committed tolifelong learning and personal career planning” (10). The highly special-ized nature of hospital librarianship and the importance and urgency ofthe subject matter and searches requested accentuate the importance ofthis personal competency. The New York-New Jersey Chapter of MLAoffered a “mini-medical school” as part of its 2000–2001 CE curriculum(11). Although some participants who had indicated their intention to pur-sue further self-education reported being thwarted either by lack of timeor institutional barriers, the concept of such a program and the willingnessof medical librarians to attend underscores recognition of the need forcontinuing education on the part of medical librarians. That hospitallibrarians indicating an interest in the promotion of EBHC should reportinstitutional support of continuing education in this survey, then, shouldcome as no surprise. It could also be that the larger size of hospitals in

TABLE 4. Approximately How Many Staffed Beds Does Your Hospital Serve?

Number of Beds Percentage Number

<100 6.8% N = 14/206100 – 499 67.5% N = 139/206500+ 25.7% N = 53/206

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14


which most respondents report serving also allow room in the budget forlibrarian continuing education.

Clinician Attitudes

Clinician attitudes towards EBHC have been reported as achallenge to librarians by some authors (12). In this study, however,nurse attitudes were cited as a hindrance by 5.61% (n = 11/196), whilephysician attitudes were cited by 9.69% (n = 19/196) of the respon-dents (5). Although the respondents in this study did not emphasizesuch cultural obstacles, one librarian stated, “Many physicians hereare not willing to spend any time doing this, nor change their practicepatterns, sometimes in the face of compelling evidence.” Anotherwarned that, “Doctors feel EBHC is an impediment to their practice.Our connection to it can be harmful.” The comparatively low negativeresponses to this question may suggest that an environment in whichclinicians support EBHC enables the librarian to pursue a role in itssupport.

Librarian Participation in Hospital Educational Activities

In 1990, Messerle reported that the hospital library provided severalkey areas in continuing medical education: resources, content, education,and information management. “Beyond development of courses, somelibraries are beginning to identify an educational responsibility as part oftheir mission” (13). Schwartz described the role of the associate directorfor medical education at the Primary Care Resource Center, School ofMedicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York atBuffalo, and its implications for the expanding roles of health scienceslibrarians. “The associate director, who is a health sciences librarian, hasestablished collaborative working relationships with primary care physi-cians in the clinical departments of family medicine, pediatrics, and inter-nal medicine with the goal of improving the teaching effectiveness offaculty and residents” (14).

Gluck and Hassig reported improvement in the status of hospitals in theirstate because of the relationship between the Connecticut Association ofHealth Sciences Librarians (CAHSL) and the accreditation agency inthe state, the Connecticut State Medical Society. Some Connecticuthospital libraries reported increased space, staffing, and funding dueto this collaboration, while others have had proposed resource cutscancelled (15).

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 285

Presence of Physician Education Within the Hospital

There is documentation within the literature of the involvement oflibrarians in the instruction of both medical school students and residentsin EBM. Vogel, Block, and Wallingford described a program in whichthey teach internal medicine house staff. “As part of a newly implementedEBM curriculum, the authors have developed a workshop to teach ourinternal medicine house staff how to search MEDLINE efficiently andeffectively to find the answers to clinical questions arising from patientcare” (16). Barnett et al. stated, “We have incorporated the teaching ofEBM into our four-year curriculum as part of our overall goal of trainingmedical students to be lifelong learners . . .” (17).

LIMITATIONS

The advantage of a survey is that it has the potential to provide a gooddeal of information from a large number of individuals, a snapshot of agroup of participants at a certain time and place.

There are several limitations to the study as conducted and pre-sented. There were the limitations that self-selection presented. Thereturn rate was small. Only 206 replies were received, providing a17% response rate. Yet, there has been some research indicating that alarge response rate does not differ significantly from a smallerresponse rate. A Pew Research Report stated that a response rate of42% produced results markedly similar to an identical survey whichreceived a response rate of 71% (18). While the response rate in thissurvey is smaller than that reported in the Pew Research Report, thedata does suggest that information gathered from this report is suffi-cient to suggest a trend.

Implications for Further Research

Identifying the discussion lists and journals librarians find mosthelpful for keeping current would offer librarians options and alterna-tives to expand their existing methods. Studies similar to the Banksresearch should examine additional outcomes besides length of staywhen a librarian attends morning report. A study differentiating hospi-tal size in smaller increments than those used in this study may offerfurther insights regarding the relationship between hospital size andpromotion of EBHC.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14


Recommendations

Because attendance at meetings is a primary means respondents reportedusing to keep current, meeting planners and organizers should includeEBHC in their programs. Hospital administrations eager to further promoteEBHC within their institutions should examine their level of support forlibrarian continuing education. Academic libraries that support the involve-ment of librarians in EBHC activities might consider including librariansfrom local hospitals without such institutional support in their educationalopportunities as part of their outreach mission.

CONCLUSION

Librarians who say they promote and are receptive to EBHC reportedworking in larger hospitals, indicated there were teaching activities withintheir hospitals, participated in teaching activities, and cited institutionalsupport of librarian continuing education. Librarians participating in thesurvey expressed a positive attitude towards EBHC by indicating a will-ingness to learn more about it. Results from the survey suggested thatwork environment characteristics such as institutional involvement inmedical education, institutional support of librarian continuing education,size of hospital, and clinician attitude impact members of MLA’s HospitalLibraries Section’s promotion of EBHC.

Received: April 16, 2008Revised: April 23, 2008

Accepted: May 14, 2008

REFERENCES

1. Sackett DL, Straus SE, Richardson WS, Rosenberg W, Haynes RB. Evidence-basedmedicine: How to practice and teach EBM. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.

2. Schwing LJ, Coldsmith EE. Librarians as hidden gems in a clinical team. MedRef Serv Q. 2005; 24:29–39.

3. Atlas MC, Smigielski EM, Wulff JL, Coleman MT. Case studies from morningreport: librarians’ role in helping residents find evidence-based clinical information. MedRef Serv Q. 2003; 22:1–14.

4. Banks DE, Shi R, Timm DF, Christopher KA, Duggar DC, Comegys M, McLarty J.Decreased hospital length of stay associated with presentation of cases at morning reportwith librarian support. J Med Libr Assoc. 2007; 95:381–387.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 287

5. Pappas, Cleo. Hospital librarians’ perceptions related to evidence-based health-care. JMLA. 2008; 96 (3): in press.

6. Answers.com. Survey. http://www.answers.com/topic/survey?cat=biz-fin. Lastaccessed 11 January 2008.

7. Fraenkel JR, Wallen NE. How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education.Boston: McGraw Hill, 2006.

8. Hospital Libraries Section: The First Fifty Years. http://web.archive.org/web/20070610085350/http://www.mlanet.org/about/history/unit-history/hospital.html. Lastaccessed July 3, 2008.

9. Rosenberg W, Donald A. Evidence based medicine: an approach to clinical problem-solving. BMJ. 1995; 310:1122–1126.

10. Marshall JG, Fisher B; Moulton L, Piccoli R. Competencies for special librarians of the21st century. Washington, DC: Special Libraries Association, May 1996. http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/professional/meaning/competency.cfm. Last accessed July 3, 2008.

11. Dunn K, Crow SJ, Van Moorsel TG, Creazzo J, Tomasulo P, Markinson A. “Mini-Medical School for Librarians”: from needs assessment to educational outcomes. J MedLibr Assoc. 2006; 94:166–173.

12. Sathe NA, Jerome R, Giuse, NB. Librarian-perceived barriers to the implementa-tion of the informationist/information specialist in context role. J Med Libr Assoc. 2007;95:270–274.

13. Messerle J. The changing continuing education role of health sciences libraries.Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1990; 78:180–187.

14. Schwartz DG. Medical education and faculty development: a new role for thehealth sciences librarian. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1995; 83:483–489.

15. Gluck JC, Hassig RA. Raising the bar: the importance of hospital library standards in thecontinuing medical education accreditation process. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 2001; 89:272–276.

16. Vogel EW, Block KR, Wallingford KT. Finding the evidence: teaching medicalresidents to search MEDLINE. J Med Libr Assoc. 2002;90:327–330.

17. Barnett SH, Kaiser S, Morgan LK, Sullivant J, Siu A, Rose D, Rico M, Smith L,Schechter C, Miller M, Stagnaro-Green A. An integrated program for evidence-basedmedicine in medical school. Mt Sinai J Med. 2000;67:163–168.

18. The Pew Research Center. Conservative opinions not underestimated, but racialhostility missed. http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=94. Last accessed21 May 2007.

APPENDIX I

Survey Questions

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the Hospital Librarians andEvidence-Based Healthcare Practice (EBHC) survey. Participation inthis survey is voluntary, and all responses will be kept confidential.There will be no repercussions should you choose not to participate. Iwill not use any methods to identify you, and I will not know who you

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14


are unless you provide identifying information in your response. Whilethe host server of the online survey will record your IP address, no asso-ciation will be made between you and your computer’s IP address. I willstrip the IP addresses from raw data at the time of download.Anonymous results from this survey may be made available to theMedical Library Association (MLA) and may be published in theappropriate literature.

In this survey, I will define EBHC as:

The process of systematically finding, appraising, and usingcontemporaneous research findings as the basis for clinical decisions. . . It includes formulating a clear clinical question from a patient’sproblem; searching the literature for relevant clinical articles;evaluating (critically appraising) the evidence for its validity andusefulness; implementing useful findings in clinical practice.” (BMJ1995;310:1122)

Terms used interchangeably with EBHC include evidence-basedmedicine (EBM) and evidence-based practice (EBP).

The objectives of this study are:

• to assess the exposure of hospital librarians to EBHC• to identify perceived barriers to practicing EBHC• to determine preferences for additional training in EBHC.

The Board of the Hospital Libraries Section of MLA has givenapproval for the distribution of this survey. The survey has been approvedby the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Illinois atChicago (UIC).

If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please contactme at (312) 996–2759. If you have questions about your rights as aresearch subject, please contact the UIC Office for the Protection ofResearch Subjects (312) 996–1711.

The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.Please check only one response unless otherwise specified.

1. Approximately how many staffed beds does your hospital serve?<100100–499500+

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 289

2. Choose the statement that best describes your hospital’s participa-tion in medical education. Check all that apply.

Medical students are assigned here.One or more residency programs are sponsored here.One or more fellowship programs are sponsored here.This is not a teaching hospital.

3. How much funding does your hospital budget annually for yourcontinuing education? Please check only one response.

No funds<$100–$499$500–$1,000$1000+Funds are allocated on a case-by-case basisOther (please specify)

4. Has anyone in your hospital asked you to provide information suchas a definition or descriptive article about EBHC?

YesNo

5. If yes to the previous question, who? Please select all that apply. Ifno, proceed to the next question.

PhysicianNurseAdministratorMedical StudentOther (Please specify)

6. Has anyone in your hospital asked you to provide a literature searchabout EBHC?

YesNo


PhysicianNurseAdministratorMedical StudentOther (Please specify)

8. Does anyone in your hospital offer formal classes in EBHC?YesNo

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14



PhysicianNurseOther librariansI do.Outside consultantOther (Please specify)

10. Approximately how many literature searches do you perform per month?<1010–2526–5051–100>100

11. For whom do you perform literature searches? (Select all that apply.)Regularly Occasionally Seldom NeverAdministratorsPhysiciansPharmacistNursesMedical StudentsConsumers

12. What databases does your hospital provide through the library?(Select all that apply.)

PubMedEmbaseOvidCINAHLPierFirstSearchOther

13. When you provide a literature search, do you (either in your heador on paper—formally or informally) convert information needsinto a focused question? (Sometimes this is referred to as anAnswerable Clinical Question [ACQ] or Patient, Intervention,Comparison, Outcome format [PICO]).

RegularlyOccasionallySeldomNever

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 291

14. When you provide a literature search for a diagnosis or therapyquestion, how do you limit your retrievals? (Choose all thatapply.)

I use the Clinical Queries feature of PubMed.I select only randomized controlled trials from whatever data-base I use.I select only systematic reviews from whatever database Iuse.I select meta-analyses from whatever database I use.I do not apply limits.

15. How do you keep current with professional developments?MeetingsColleaguesDiscussion ListsJournalsCE classOther (please specify)

16. In the past 12 months, how many times have you read an articleabout EBHC?

Not at all – neverOccasionally – several timesFrequently – several times a monthRegularly – once a week

17. Have you taken a formal class in EBHC?YesNo

18. If yes to the previous question, how long was the class? If no, pro-ceed to question #21.

< 4 hours4 hours8 hoursMore than 1 day

19. Who sponsored the class?MLA CE (online)MLA CE at annual conferenceWorkshop sponsored outside of hospital – MLA creditSponsored by my own hospital – no MLA creditWorkshop sponsored outside of hospital – no MLA creditOther

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14


20. Did your institution provide any of the following for CE? Checkall that apply.

TuitionReimbursement for TravelReimbursement for accommodationsPaid professional leave to attendNo financial support

21. Do you have an active role in hospital teaching activities?YesNo

22. If yes, for what departments? If no, proceed to question #24.23. If yes to question #21, please select the kinds of activities in which

you are active from the following. Check all that apply.Teach a formal classFacilitate journal clubAttend rounds with physicians in the clinical settingAttend morning reportServe on an education committeeMeet regularly with department chairsOther

24. How many hours per week do you work as a medical librarian?5–1011–2021–3030–4040+

25. How strongly do you agree or disagree with the followingstatement: “The statistical component of evidence-basedhealthcare practice – such as number needed to treat, absoluteversus relative risk reduction, confidence intervals – constitutea significant impediment to my becoming more activelyinvolved in EBHC.”

I agree strongly.I agree somewhat.I disagree somewhat.I disagree strongly.

26. If you would like to be more involved in EBHC, choose the oneobstacle that most stands in your way.

Lack of EBHC knowledgeLack of confidence

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Cleo Pappas 293

Lack of institutional supportLack of timeLack of trainingLack of understanding of statistical conceptsNurses’ attitudesPhysicians’ attitudesOther (please specify)

27. Are you interested in learning more about EBHC?YesNo

28. If yes, by what means would you like to learn more about it?MLA CE (online)MLA CE at annual conferenceWorkshop sponsored outside of hospital – MLA creditWorkshop sponsored outside of hospital – no MLA creditWorkshop sponsored within hospital – no MLA credit

29. What is your highest degree earned?AssociatesBachelor’sMaster’s of Library ScienceOther Master’sPhDMD

30. How many years have you worked as a medical librarian?< 5 years5–10 years11–15 years16–20 years>20 years

31. Are you a member of MLA’s Academy of Health InformationProfessionals?

YesNo

32. If yes, at what level? If no, proceed to the next question.ProvisionalMemberSeniorDistinguished

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14


33. If your hospital is located in the United States, in what state is itlocated?

34. If your hospital is located in the United States, in what state is itlocated?

35. Do you have any comments about the incorporation of EBHC intomedical librarianship?

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f Sh

effi

eld]

at 0

2:36

15

Nov

embe

r 20

14

working environments of hospital librarians supportive of evidence-based health care

Documents