scholarly journals Availability and accessibility of evidence-based information resources provided by medical libraries in Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Ritchie ◽  
Beth Sowter

This article reports on the results of an exploratory survey of the availability andaccessibility of evidence-based information resources provided by medical libraries inAustralia. Although barriers impede access to evidence-based information for hospitalclinicians, the survey revealed that Medline and Cinahl are available in over 90% offacilities. In most cases they are widely accessible via internal networks and the Internet.The Cochrane Library is available in 69% of cases. The Internet is widely accessible andmost libraries provide access to some full-text, electronic journals. Strategies for overcomingrestrictions and integrating information resources with clinical workflow are being pursued.State, regional and national public and private consortia are developing agreementsutilising on-line technology. These could produce cost savings and more equitable accessto a greater range of evidence-based resources.

Author(s):  
Nicoletta Corrocher ◽  
Roberto Fontana ◽  
Claudia Parlanti

We provide evidence on the determinants of diffusion of Voice over IP (VoIP) applications in a sample of public and private organizations in Italy. We first review the recent developments in the technology in order to identify the current trends and the costs and benefits of VoIP adoption. Second, we discuss the recent policy efforts at the European level toward the implementation of the technology. Third, we present an empirical investigation. Our results suggest that organizations become more likely to adopt as time goes by, and that the decision to adopt is mostly affected by size and availability of financial resources. Organizations can benefit from IP communications systems, because they offer cost savings and enhanced applications facilitating network management and on-line transactions. However, technical shortcomings, established habits and practices, and legacy network investments can inhibit adoption. This explains why firms are more likely to adopt as time passes and why small organizations are more inclined to adopt than larger ones.


Swiss Surgery ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 183-185
Author(s):  
Bleuer

Die mit dem Aufkommen der elektronischen Medien einhergehende Informationsflut hat die Erwartungen an den Dokumentationsdienst (DOKDI) der Schweizerischen Akademie der Medizinischen Wissenschaften verändert: Insbesondere Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) verlangt nicht nur die Beschaffung von Information, sondern auch eine Selektion hinsichtlich Qualität und Relevanz: Die sich aus der klinischen Situation ergebende Frage fordert eine Antwort, die inhaltlich richtig ist und in der konkreten Situation auch weiterhilft. Dem Ideal, sich durch kritische Lektüre der Originalarbeiten ein Bild über die vorhandene Evidenz für die Richtigkeit eines bestimmten Prozederes zu verschaffen, stehen in der Praxis meist Zeitmangel und methodische Schwierigkeiten im Weg; man wird sich deshalb oft auf die durch andere erarbeitete Evidenz abstützen müssen und z.B. die Cochrane Library konsultieren. Der DOKDI engagiert sich sowohl bei der Erarbeitung von systematischen Übersichtsarbeiten als auch bei der Dissemination der gefundenen Evidenz, indem er seine Erfahrung in der Dokumentation mit elektronischen Medien und die entsprechende Infrastruktur zur Verfügung stellt. Als Ergänzung zu diesen Aktivitäten hat die Akademie einen Grant zur Ausbildung von EBM-Tutoren gesprochen. In einem einwöchigen Kurs in Oxford werden Kliniker zu EBM-Tutoren ausgebildet: Dies wird zukünftig ermöglichen, vermehrt EBM-Workshops in der Schweiz durchzuführen.


2009 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Hawke ◽  
Joshua Burns ◽  
Karl B. Landorf

Due to the exponential increase in the quantity and quality of podiatric medicine–related research during the past decade, podiatric physicians are inundated with an insurmountable volume of research relevant to clinical practice. Systematic reviews can refine this literature by using explicit, rigorous, and reproducible methods to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize the best evidence from all clinical trials to answer clearly defined clinical questions. The Cochrane Collaboration is an international not-for-profit organization created to improve the user-friendliness and accessibility of medical literature mainly through preparing and maintaining systematic reviews of health-care interventions. The Cochrane Library currently contains more than 50 podiatric medicine–relevant systematic reviews summarizing and synthesizing evidence from many hundreds of randomized controlled trials evaluating interventions for foot problems. Although more than 60 countries worldwide have open online access to The Cochrane Library, in the United States, only the state of Wyoming has free access to full-text reviews. In an era demanding an evidence-based approach for every clinical intervention, high-quality systematic reviews streamline podiatric medical literature by reducing the time, cost, and training necessary to establish a solid evidence base for practice. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 99(3): 260–266, 2009)


2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 740-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn Williams-Voorbeijtel ◽  
Francisco Sanchez ◽  
Christine G Roth

AimsElimination of non-value added testing without compromising high-quality clinical care is an important mandate for laboratories in a value-based reimbursement system. The goal of this study was to determine the optimal combination of flow cytometric markers for a screening approach that balances efficiency and accuracy.MethodsAn audit over 9 months of flow cytometric testing was performed, including rereview of all dot plots from positive cases.ResultsOf the 807 cases in which leukaemia/lymphoma testing was performed, 23 were non-diagnostic and 189 represented bronchoalveolar lavage specimens. Of the remaining 595 cases, 137 (23%) were positive for an abnormal haematolymphoid population. Review of the positive cases identified minimum requirements for a screening tube as well as analysis strategies to overcome the diagnostic pitfalls noted. It is estimated that 38% fewer antibodies would be used in a screening approach, representing an opportunity for significant cost savings.ConclusionsWe provide a framework for developing an evidence-based screening combination for cost-effective characterisation of haematolymphoid malignancies, promoting adoption of ‘just-in-time’ testing systems that tailor the evaluation to the diagnostic need.


2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wioletta Łubkowska ◽  
Bożena Mroczek

ABSTRAKT Wstęp: Zespoły bólowe kręgosłupa lędźwiowo-krzyżowego ze względu na powszechność zjawiska oraz coraz młodszy wiek pacjentów uznaje się za schorzenie cywilizacyjne. Celem artykułu była krytyczna analiza dostępnych wytycznych, raportów i dowodów dostarczających argumentów dotyczących postępowania diagnostyczno-terapeutycznego w bólach krzyża. W pracy przedstawiono epidemiologię, etiologię, diagnozę oraz wybrane metody leczenia i profilaktyki bólu krzyża. Materiały i metody: Dokonano przeglądu danych literaturowych w oparciu o bazę komputerową Polska Bibliografia Lekarska oraz anglojęzyczną bazę danych PubMed i Cochrane Library. Dodatkowo wykorzystano wyszukiwarkę Google Scholar. Prezentowane prace przeanalizowano pod względem ich referencyjności naukowej i zgodności z zasadami Evidence-Based Medicine. W celu uzyskania rekomendacji na najwyższym poziomie w przeglądzie zostały uwzględnione aktualne dowody naukowe oparte na recenzowanych publikacjach naukowych, przeglądach systematycznych, metaanalizach i przeprowadzonych randomizowanych badaniach kontrolnych. Wyniki: Według licznych badań leżenie w łóżku jest nieskuteczne i nie powinno być zalecane. Literatura w odniesieniu do wpływu akupunktury, TENS, terapii zimnem i trakcji (wyciąg) na leczenie bólu krzyża jest zbyt niejednorodna i potrzebne są dalsze wysokiej jakości badania, zanim jakikolwiek końcowy wniosek zostanie postawiony. Mocno rekomendowane w leczeniu objawów bólu krzyża są: ćwiczenia fizyczne, terapia manualna oraz edukacja. Wnioski: Konieczne są dalsze badania w celu zidentyfikowania skutecznych niefarmakologicznych metod leczenia bólu krzyża oraz zrozumienia dodatkowych korzyści wynikających z łączenia poszczególnych interwencji, a także tego, które kombinacje leczenia i sekwencje są najbardziej skuteczne.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Evans ◽  
Stefan Rennick-Egglestone ◽  
Serena Cox ◽  
Yvonne Kuipers ◽  
Helen Spiby

BACKGROUND Symptoms of anxiety are common in pregnancy, with severe symptoms associated with negative outcomes for women and babies. Low level psychological therapy is recommended as first line treatment options for women with mild to moderate anxiety, with the aim to prevent an escalation of symptoms and provide women with coping strategies. Remotely delivered interventions have been suggested to improve access to treatment and support for women in pregnancy and provide a cost-effective, flexible and timely solution. OBJECTIVE To identify and evaluate remotely delivered, digital or on-line interventions to support women with symptoms of anxiety in pregnancy. METHODS A mixed method systematic review following a convergent segregated approach to synthesise the qualitative and quantitative data. The ACM Digital Library, AMED, ASSIA, CRD, CENTRAL, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, HTA, IEEE Xplore, JBI, Maternity and Infant Care, Medline, PsycINFO and the Social Science Citation Index were searched in October 2020. Quantitative or qualitative primary research including pregnant women which evaluated remotely delivered interventions reporting measures of anxiety, fear, stress, distress, women’s views, feedback and opinions were included in the review. RESULTS Three qualitative and 14 were quantitative studies included. Populations included a general antenatal population, and pregnant women with anxiety and depression, fear of childbirth, insomnia and pre-term labour. Interventions included CBT, Problem Solving, Mindfulness and Educational designs. Most interventions were delivered via on-line platforms and 8 included direct contact from trained therapists or coaches. A meta-analysis of the quantitative data found for I-CBT and facilitated interventions there was observed beneficial effect in relation to the reduction of anxiety scores (SMD=-0.49; 95% CI=-0.75 to -0.22; SMD=-0.48; 95% CI=-0.75 to -0.22). However, due to limitations in the amount of available data and study quality, the findings should be interpreted with caution. Synthesised findings from quantitative and qualitative data found some evidence to suggest that interventions are more effective when women are motivated to maintain regular participation in interventions. Participation may be enhanced by providing regular contact with therapists, targeting interventions for women with anxiety symptoms; providing peer support forums; including components of relaxation and cognitive based skills; and providing sufficient sessions to develop new skills without being too time consuming. CONCLUSIONS There is limited evidence to suggest that pregnant women may benefit from remotely delivered interventions. The synthesised findings highlighted components of interventions which may improve the effectiveness and acceptability of remotely delivered interventions. These include providing women with contact with a therapist, healthcare professional or peer community. Women may be more motivated to complete interventions which are perceived as relevant or tailored to their needs and situations. Remote interventions may also provide women with greater anonymity to help them feel more confident in disclosing their symptoms.


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