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Impact of Articles Reporting Research on the Value of Medical Library Services to Clinical Care
- written by librarians, 43%; physicians, 38%; co-authored by librarians and physicians, 12%
- published in medical journals, 54%; Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 31%; general information science journals, 13%; health administration journals, 2%
- reporting research, 54%; giving instruction about the internet or using the literature, 25%; about importance of health science library services, 21%. Research articles were authored almost equally by librarians and physicians
Pamela J. Sherwill-Navarro, Health Sciences Center Library, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. and Addajane L. Wallace, Medical Library, Halifax Medical Center, Daytona Beach, FL.
Objective(s) : This study evaluates the impact of specific articles reporting research providing evidence of the value of health sciences library services (including Medline) as an element of quality health care.
Data Sources/Selection : Articles were selected from a Medline search performed May, 2001 using simple MESH terms for the utilization of library services; quality of healthcare; decision making; treatment outcome or hospital costs. Four articles met selection criteria: in English, reported research; related to clinical care; and published before 1995.
Data Extraction : ISI Web of Science® was used to determine publications which cited these four articles; analysis was performed using ProCite and Excell databases.
Results : One or more of the articles was cited in a total of 154 publications They were cited significantly more often than the average article published in the same year journal and exhibited long average half-life, being cited almost every year since publication. The 146 publications written in English were:
Conclusions : Does writing on the value of medical library services make an impact? Does any one read them? Should we continue to write them? The answer to all of those questions is an unequivocal YES based upon this study.
