HSLIC News

Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 10-16; it's an opportunity to encourage learning about health care safety. Patient safety is the concern of everyone on the health care team, and that includes librarians.

Some ways in which librarians and libraries contribute to patient safety:

• Provide authoritative point-of-care resources for quick retrieval of information at the time of need
• Participate in clinical rounds to understand the context of questions as they arise and respond with relevant information from quality resources
• Serve on safety committees and institutional review boards
• Conduct literature searches for current guidelines, best practices
• Provide 24/7 access to databases that contain current information about drugs, interactions, therapeutics, and peer-reviewed full-text articles
• Educate health care personnel in the efficient use of resources

Physicians, residents, and nurses at 118 hospitals (16,122 respondents to a survey) considered a recent patient care situation and reported changes in "advice given to the patient (48%), diagnosis (25%), and choice of drugs (33%), other treatment (31%), and tests (23%)" based on information provided by the librarian or library." They indicated that the "information allowed them to avoid the following adverse events: patient misunderstanding of the disease (23%), additional tests (19%), misdiagnosis (13%), adverse drug reactions (13%), medication errors (12%), and patient mortality (6%)." [1]

When you have a question, or are making a health care decision, our goal at HSLIC is to deliver current, accurate, and evidence-based information.

1. Marshall JG, et al. The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multisite study. J Med Libr Assoc. 2013 Jan;101(1):38-46. doi: 10.3163/1536-5050.101.1.007. PMID: 23418404; PMCID: PMC3543128.

                                                                         Download and review Patient Safety terms with this printable word search

                                                                                              Download Word Search  Download Answer Key

Have you ever wanted to see how other studies use a particular research instrument? 

HSLIC provides access to a database -- CINAHL Ultimate -- that includes indexing for research instruments. CINAHL Ultimate offers a large collection of nursing and allied health literature, as well as notable research instruments. One way to discover research instruments in the database is to use a keyword search. First, enter the name of the instrument/scale or keywords related to the instrument. Second, change the dropdown menu to IN Instrumentation (see Image 1). Finally, browse the search results. When you open a record, scroll down to the Instrument field, and you should see your search terms.

To learn how other studies use the research instrument, access the full text of relevant articles, and read the methods sections. 

If you'd like to try looking for an instrument, here are some options:

• Morse Fall Scale
• Caregiver Burden Scale
• Mishel Uncertainty in Illness 

Image 1

You are invited to join us on Thursday, April 6th, from 10 A.M - 11 A.M. for a virtual seminar by Lewis Worley, BE, and Robyn Gleasner, MLIS.

Topic: HSC Citation Analysis Project

Description: The HSC Citation Analysis Project set out to answer the following questions: where are faculty at the HSC publishing, does HSLIC/UNM provide access to these journals, what journals are the authors citing, and does HSLIC/UNM provide access to those journals. The answers to the questions would assist in the evaluation of HSLIC’s journal collection and determine potential gaps.  This session will show how we went about attempting to answer these questions from pulling data from Web of Science, analyzing it, and wrangling and parsing it using a number of programs and scripts including excel, open refine, SQL, and python. 

Learning Objectives: 

We will discuss: 

• What citation analysis is and why it is beneficial for collection evaluation 
• Our process of pulling, cleaning, wrangling, and parsing the data to meet our needs 
• Next steps to analyze the data and how to apply the analysis to future collection development decisions 

Please email BLCarroll@salud.unm.edu to request Zoom info.

You are invited to join us on Thursday, March 2nd, from 10 A.M - 11 A.M. for a virtual seminar by Glyneva Bradley-Ridout, BA, MI, and Elena Springall, BSc, MLIS.

Topic: Cross-Sectional Study of UpToDate versus DynaMed

Description: Health Sciences Libraries are often faced with difficult budget decisions regarding which clinical tools to purchase while keeping in mind user preferences and needs. Our research study was designed to inform evidence-based decision-making around this issue. We designed and executed a cross-sectional research project which compared the speed and accuracy of two popular point-of-care information tools: UpToDate and DynaMed plus. We will share the results of our research, including a behind-the-scenes glimpse into our research process. 

Learning Objectives: 

We will discuss: 

• how to form research objectives from collections priorities
• how to balance multiple priorities and changing roles while conducting research
• how to work with busy medical residents as study participants

Please email BLCarroll@salud.unm.edu to request Zoom info.

You are invited to join us on Thursday, February 16th, from 10 A.M. - 11 A.M. for a virtual seminar by Jonathan Pringle, MAS.

Topic: The Native Health Database in 2023: Embedding Outreach with Culturally-Respectful Technology

Description: The years 1993-2019 marked significant changes and modifications to the Native Health Database, a (then) abstracting database that provided unique health information and resources for myriad audiences. Between 2019 and 2022 the resource underwent significant changes, this time focused on the underlying platform delivering the information; the new NHD now has the capacity to elevate source Native American & Indigenous communities to equal partners in the exchange of information. In 2023, the NHD is poised to leverage this new platform and engage in focused outreach efforts to show content creators, communities, users, and healthcare providers how they can interact within the new platform.

Learning Objectives:

We will discuss:

• How the past has informed the present and future of this resource
• How the new platform provides solutions to information exchange that embodies the Indigenous Data Sovereignty movement
• How the platform can be utilized broadly as an effective outreach tool for researchers

Please email BLCarroll@salud.unm.edu to request Zoom info.

You are invited to join us on Thursday, October 20th, from 10 to 11 AM for a virtual seminar by Emily McRae, BA, and Cynthia Jacobs, BS

Topic: The New Mexico Community Data Collaborative

Description: Join the New Mexico Community Data Collaborative (NMCDC) to explore social determinants and health indicators across your neighborhood. The NMCDC team will provide a brief tutorial of how to find data on the site, as well as describe recent and future projects, including the NM Food Supply Chain Data Hub and the Data Disaggregation Project.

Learning Objectives:

1. Navigate to a data product on the NMCDC website given only a broad topic area.

2. Use the NM Food Supply Chain Data Hub to find data related to the food supply chain components and understand how you can support the upkeep and relevance of the Data Hub.

3. Describe the Data Disaggregation project and understand how to follow, support, and inform the work.

Please email BLCarroll@salud.unm.edu to request Zoom info.

You are invited to join us on Thursday, October 6th from 10 to 11:30 AM, for a virtual seminar by Gabe Peters, BA.

Topic: Inclusive Dermatology: Creating a Diverse Visual Atlas of Skin Conditions

Description: Existing literature on Dermatological conditions highlight little to no visual diversity amongst skin conditions of varying individuals of color. Inclusive dermatology focuses on the importance of gathering and sharing images of dermatological conditions in all skin types with an emphasis on individuals who have been excluded in medical education. By expanding the availability of images in varying skin types, we hope to not only advance medical education but also strive to improve patient care, especially with our diverse population here in New Mexico.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe what Inclusive Dermatology is

2. Explain the importance of inclusivity and how it benefits patient care

Please email BLCarroll@salud.unm.edu to request Zoom info.

You are invited to join us on Thursday, September 15th from 10 to 11 AM, for a virtual seminar by Deborah L. Lauseng, AMLS

Topic: Roles, Collaborations, and Activities in Health Informatics Education - a discussion of scoping review findings and your own involvement

Description: Librarians and libraries have been engaged in informatics training for decades, however, sharing of the types and extent of engagement has been limited in the literature. The scoping review, “Library involvement in health informatics education for health professions students and practitioners,” published in JMLA, seeks to explore the extent library involvement in health informatics education, specifically focused on activities and outcomes described in the published literature.

In this BioMISS session, the lead author will share findings on the roles, collaborations, and activities librarians have had in health informatics beyond instruction. The author will lead a discussion about current and potential collaborations. Additionally, attendees will explore how best to report their involvement with health informatics to inform the profession.

Learning objectives: 

• Participants will gain insights into the extent and nature of librarian/information professional involvement with health informatics as discovered through this scoping review. 

• Participants will explore potentials of collaboration with health informatics activities in their own work. 

• Participants will discuss generating a standardized template for reporting librarian/information professional involvement in informatics educational activities. 

Please email BLCarroll@salud.unm.edu to request Zoom info.

<img src="https://www.adaanniversary.org/sites/default/files/ADA30-blog-post_0.jpg" alt="Celebrate the ADA30 (1990-2020) Americans with Disabilities Act - July 26, 2020" >

Celebrating the 30^th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Sunday, July 26^th marks the day 30 years ago President George H. W. Bush signed into law the world’s first civil rights act for persons with disabilities.  This was a momentous day for disability rights activists who had been working hard for more than 30 years to enact changes in the lives of people with disabilities. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in regards to education, housing, transportation, architectural access, employment and other areas of public life.  The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Currently, one in four Americans identifies as having a physical or mental disability.

As a person with a disability who has experienced our country before and after passage of this important law, the changes are life altering.  Ramps, pushbuttons and elevators are all common sights that many growing up post-ADA take for granted. Lifts on buses, job accommodations and integrated education are all expected or assumed.  People with intellectual disabilities have the right to live in the community, be employed, and choose their  partner.

Has the ADA solved all the issues people with disability face? Hardly.  As with other civil rights laws, it provides legal recourse, but attitudes and awareness are more entrenched and harder to change.   July is also Disability Pride Month, an effort to encourage people with disabilities to take pride in their identity and shift the narratives of stigma and ableism.  

Health care is one area that lags behind the public sector in accessibility. Few clinics have adjustable exam tables, space in exam rooms to navigate a wheelchair, scales to weigh people with limited mobility, access to sign language interpreters or large print and braille patient education material. Despite encountering large numbers of patients with disabilities in practice, medical students seldom receive training in working with this population.  While other minorities are increasingly represented in the health professions, people with disabilities are often excluded due to lack of accommodations on admissions.

The fight is not over, but the world is a much more welcoming place for people with disabilities.

Further exploration:

ADAA website https://www.adaanniversary.org/home

DREDF Health Care Stories: https://dredf.org/healthcare-stories/

Crip Camp: A Disabilty Revolution. 2020 Film. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/title/81001496

Heumann, J. E., Joiner, K., & Beacon Press. (2020). Being Heumann : an unrepentant memoir of a disability rights activist. Beacon Press. https://hslic-unm.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1119745182