The role of health science librarians in preparing tomorrow’s doctors to manage information

Abstract

By the year 2000, all UK medical schools will have implemented a new curriculum with explicit aims and learning objectives, new assessment methods, new forms of delivering the curriculum and new approaches to teaching and learning. In parallel with these changes aimed at producing more independent, life-long learners, there has been major investment in IT infrastructure to support new methods of teaching and learning. Developments in the National Health Service (NHS) have created additional reasons for rethinking and reforming medical education. From the point of view of those responsible for health informatics programmes, the 1990 and 1998 NHS information strategies have provided a vision as to how information can contribute to better patient care and a more effective health service. To achieve the outcomes specified in Information for Health educational providers must examine the opportunities and incentives students have to develop knowledge, skills and positive attitudes in relation to the information component of their profession. It was against this backdrop of change that the Council of Heads of Medical Schools, in consultation with the Education and Training Programme in IM&T, commissioned a survey of informatics teaching in UK medical schools to provide evidence as to what medical schools are doing to implement the GMC recommendations in the area of health informatics. The purpose of the survey was to provide baseline data as to what medical schools are doing to prepare students to collect, share and use information, for research, education and patient care. The expectation was that these findings could be used in the future to monitor the impact of the new medical curricula on the teaching of informatics skills. This article reports on results relating to the role of health science librarians in preparing future doctors to manage information.