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BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
Published in: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 1/2006

Open Access 01-12-2006 | Software

A web-based library consult service for evidence-based medicine: Technical development

Authors: Alan Schwartz, Gregory Millam, the UIC LCS Investigators

Published in: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making | Issue 1/2006

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Abstract

Background

Incorporating evidence based medicine (EBM) into clinical practice requires clinicians to learn to efficiently gain access to clinical evidence and effectively appraise its validity. Even using current electronic systems, selecting literature-based data to solve a single patient-related problem can require more time than practicing physicians or residents can spare. Clinical librarians, as informationists, are uniquely suited to assist physicians in this endeavor.

Results

To improve support for evidence-based practice, we have developed a web-based EBM library consult service application (LCS). Librarians use the LCS system to provide full text evidence-based literature with critical appraisal in response to a clinical question asked by a remote physician. LCS uses an entirely Free/Open Source Software platform and will be released under a Free Software license. In the first year of the LCS project, the software was successfully developed and a reference implementation put into active use. Two years of evaluation of the clinical, educational, and attitudinal impact on physician-users and librarian staff are underway, and expected to lead to refinement and wide dissemination of the system.

Conclusion

A web-based EBM library consult model may provide a useful way for informationists to assist clinicians, and is feasible to implement.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
A web-based library consult service for evidence-based medicine: Technical development
Authors
Alan Schwartz
Gregory Millam
the UIC LCS Investigators
Publication date
01-12-2006
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making / Issue 1/2006
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6947
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-6-16

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