Medical Literature Search by Frequency of Requests for Homogenous Topics: A Retrospective Study in a Single Hospital Medical Center

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis retrospective data study was performed to determine the number of literature searches that clinicians and staff requested about a particular topic within a five-year period in a single hospital. The study revealed that consistent topics were repeatedly requested from the cohort and demonstrates how compiled mediated literature search data could be reviewed in an analytical method and purposefully utilized. The results could be applied to show a connection between library utilization and hospital core metrics. Data from compiled records identifying each mediated literature search request was evaluated and classified within broad topic categories. A total cohort of 271 individual hospital physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinicians or ancillary staff were determined to have requested a mediated literature search during the five-year period. The cohort submitted requests that contributed to the 1,120 total number of mediated literature requests. Topics that were related to the nursing profession, ranked as among the highest and was not unexpected, since it was found that those with a role as a nurse requested mediated literature searches with greater frequency. Rankings for information about body systems, surgery, communicable diseases, ethics, pain and falls were among other categories tabulated.