Abstract
Objective:This study analyzed data from a study on the value of libraries to understand the specific role that the MEDLINE database plays in relation to other information resources that are available to health care providers and its role in positively impacting patient care.Methods:A previous study on the use of health information resources for patient care obtained 16,122 responses from health care providers in 56 hospitals about how providers make decisions affecting patient care and the role of information resources in that process. Respondents indicated resources used in answering a specific clinical question from a list of 19 possible resources, including MEDLINE. Study data were examined using descriptive statistics and regression analysis to determine the number of information resources used and how they were used in combination with one another.Results:Health care professionals used 3.5 resources, on average, to aid in patient care. The 2 most frequently used resources were journals (print and online) and the MEDLINE database. Using a higher number of information resources was significantly associated with a higher probability of making changes to patient care and avoiding adverse events. MEDLINE was the most likely to be among consulted resources compared to any other information resource other than journals.Conclusions:MEDLINE is a critical clinical care tool that health care professionals use to avoid adverse events, make changes to patient care, and answer clinical questions.
Highlights
Where once physicians found barriers in accessing health information [1], there is a much greater availability of information resources [2]
Since most respondents reported using multiple resources to answer their clinical questions, we explored whether using more resources was associated with reported changes to patient care and avoidance of adverse events
We found that MEDLINE was used in all of the top ten most frequently used combinations of information resources
Summary
Where once physicians found barriers in accessing health information [1], there is a much greater availability of information resources [2] This access is essential, given the little time physicians have to research and answer a clinical question. One literature review found that predictors of physician information-seeking behavior included the existence of an urgent patient problem and the expectation that a clear answer existed [3]. Such clinical questions most often concern primary care and specific patients’ problems and not general medical information. When physicians do take time to search for an answer to a clinical question, they do not tend to spend much time doing the research (typically 2 to 12 minutes [3])
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