Medical Center Library Research Articles

Health Information @Preuss (HIP)

As the digital divide continues to narrow, young people from various socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic groups are routinely searching for health information online; and it appears they are doing so from both their schools and their homes. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that in the fall of 2000, 98% of public schools were connected to the Internet (1). A national Internet-use survey among young people conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (these young people also reported that they were from “lower” or “working class” backgrounds), indicated that 63% of the respondents had Internet access at home (2). A significant segment of these respondents specified further that one of the subjects they regularly explore online is health information. Currently, though, online health information is a vast and varied landscape comprised of exhilarating peaks and dangerous valleys; and there are those who believe that this uneven situation poses a risk for young online health information seekers. With that in mind, and knowing that young people will continue to search for health information via the Internet, the University of California, San Diego Medical Center Library and The Preuss School UCSD created a program to integrate health information and health information literacy skills into the curricula of the school and thereby mitigate the retrieval of questionable and potentially dangerous health information by students.

The Army Medical Department Medical Library and Information Network (AMEDD MEDLI-NET)

Army medical libraries have a long tradition of service to both the Army and the national health community. The Army Medical Department Medical Library and Information Network (AMEDD MEDLI-NET) is a consortium of thirty-nine biomedical, research, technical, and academic libraries in the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM). This article provides an overview of the AMEDD MEDLI-NET and its support of the AMEDD's medical readiness mission. Short overviews of those medical center libraries having regional command responsibilities are included.

A short history of the William H. Welch Medical Library.

The William H. Welch Medical Library was founded in 1929 with the merger of three libraries, namely, the library of the School of Medicine, the library of the School of Hygiene and Public Health, and the library of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Engendered by the dreams of Johns Hopkins University bibliophiles, such as founding Hopkins physicians William Osler, William Stewart Halsted, Howard Kelly, and William Henry Welch, the library flourished and expanded. At the same time as the founding of the central medical library, the Institute of the History of Medicine collection was established in the Welch Library building, with William H. Welch as its first director. Innovative leadership led to many exciting projects, such as the Welch Indexing Project, which was a prototype for the National Library of Medicine's medical subject headings, and the establishment of a laboratory for research into the application of information technologies to knowledge management. The Welch Library enters the 21st century as a dynamic library committed to the continuing delivery of information services, as well as ongoing research into the development of library services for the coming 100 years.

Queer Physiognomies; Or, How Many Ways Can We Do the History of Sexuality?

An anthropological pamphlet from 1934 features a series of photographs and illustrations that had become common to the genre of "scientific" pictorial display in the early twentieth century: images of naked tribal women, transvestism, bearded women, Siamese twins, female homosexuality, and dwarfism, to name just a few. The pamphlet proclaims its "500 authentic racial-esoteric" images to be "after the originals from scientific explorations, field studies and museum archives" and has as its aim the documenting of "racial peculiarities," "fetishism," "aberrations and perversions," "freaks and other abnormalities," along with "the erotic life of savage and civilized races of mankind" (see figs. 1 and 2). By the time of this pamphlet's appearance, the publication in America of George Gould and Walter Pyle's Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine (1896) had already made available the country's most famous human aberrations, and the practice of the "freak photograph" had become an established tradition. Photographer Matthew Brady, eminent for his images of Civil War soldiers and their war-torn bodies, ran a studio in New York City's Bowery where he gained another kind of notoriety for his portraits of Tom Thumb, Chang and Eng, the Fiji Cannibals, and other human oddities. Not only thought to be scientifically useful but also in actuality hugely popular, these photographs illustrate what Henry James has called an "American scene"—a world preoccupied with observation, supervision, and the intrigues of a new technology. That fin de siècle rite of being photographed—in family portraits, medical studies, cabinet cards, and cartes de visite—inaugurated what would become, and remains, a resounding interest in the contours of the visible body. Remarkable about these curiosities is the chain of connection they produce among a range of bodies designated odd and peculiar. This chain generates a kind of categorical promiscuity that blurs any readily decipherable intention or purpose that we might expect from a scientific treatise. In the [End Page 71] Click for larger view Figure 1 "A Private Anthropological Cabinet of 500 Authentic Racial-Esoteric Photographs and Illustrations, . . . arranged by . . . Robert Meadows" (1934), plates 360-63. Property of Duke University Medical Center Library, History of Medicine Collections, Durham, N.C. By permission of Duke University Medical Center Library.

Supporting PDAs: the experience of a health sciences library

This paper discusses the Duke University Medical Center Library’s experience in supporting the use of mobile technology. Over the past several years, the library contributed to the formation of a mobile technology infrastructure through surveys, organization of information sharing events, and the development and review of medical center wide proposals and reports.

Developing a multilingual, personalised medical library portal: use of MyLibrary in Slovenia

The Central Medical Library (CMK) at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, created its Web site in 1997 and has since then been actively involved in its maintenance and improvement. The analysis of Web site usage, which was performed using different data‐mining methods, revealed an increasing interest among the Slovene biomedical community. Patrons have often complained to librarians about information overload and difficulty in following all the Web site’s enhancements. This situation called for a dynamic restructuring of the CMK Web site. Such problems are often solved with customisable and personalised library portals. Having limited financial and human resources, it was decided to customise and extend an existing library portal software solution (MyLibrary from North Carolina State University). The MyLibrary portal for the CMK was not only customised, but some important new functionality, most notably multilingual support, was added. This experience of developing a personalised library portal could be of interest to most libraries that offer information in at least two languages.

An integrative review on current evidence of testosterone replacement therapy for the andropause

Objectives: This paper examines the evidence supporting testosterone replacement in aging males. Confounding factors contributing to low testosterone levels and challenges to diagnosis of the andropause will also be considered. Methods: A thorough review using an integrative approach citing published literature and the ongoing work of the authors. A search was performed using National Library of Medicine PubMed. Electronic and print journals available at the Texas Medical Center library were also considered. Results: Information based on collective trials in older men has added to evidence for benefits and side effects of testosterone replacement inferred from studies in younger hypogonadal patients and animal models. In general, most investigators agree with short-term safety but long-term safety is unknown. Testosterone therapy in aging males improves body composition, certain domains of brain function and may also decrease cardiovascular risk in biological models. Measurable clinical effects are less apparent. Potential risks include erythrocytosis, edema, gynecomastia, and prostate stimulation. The possibility of increased risk of clinically significant prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease has been considered. Conclusion: The search continues for an ideal replacement androgen and larger long-term studies are needed. At this time, androgen replacement is on a case-by-case basis and prostate cancer screening should be completed prior to instituting therapy. Routine androgen replacement therapy for aging males will have significant economic implications, and is not currently recommended.

Planning, Implementing, and Using a Virtual Reference Service

Virtual reference (VR) can be a successful vehicle for libraries if there is a demonstrated need by the user base for such a service and if the library staff believes in, accepts, and plans thoroughly for the concept. This article focuses on the experiences of the Duke University Medical Center Library (DUMCL) in planning, implementing, and using a virtual reference service utilizing LSSI's Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) Software.

Implementing PDA Technology in a Medical Library

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) have grown from being a novelty in the late 1990s to an essential tool for healthcare professionals in the 2000s. This paper describes the experiences of a librarian who implemented PDA technology first in a hospital library, and then at an academic medical center library. It focuses on the role of the library in supporting PDA technology and resources. Included are programmatic issues such as training for library staff and clinicians, and technical issues such as Palm and Windows operating systems. This model could be used in either a hospital or academic health sciences library.

Julie V Hansen and Suzanne Porter, The physician's art: representations of art and medicine, Durham, NC, Duke University Medical Center Library and Duke University Museum of Art, 1999, pp. 141, illus., £37.00 (hardback 0-9672946-0-6), £19.95 (paperback 0-9672946-1-4).

Julie V Hansen and Suzanne Porter, The physician's art: representations of art and medicine, Durham, NC, Duke University Medical Center Library and Duke University Museum of Art, 1999, pp. 141, illus., £37.00 (hardback 0-9672946-0-6), £19.95 (paperback 0-9672946-1-4).

The society for computer applications in radiology. Has DICOM become a victim of its own success?

Computers are nearly ubiquitous in academic medicine, and authors create and compile much of their work in the electronic environment, yet the process of manuscript submission often fails to utilize the advantages of electronic communication. The purpose of this report is to review the submission policies of major academic journals in the field of radiology and assess current editorial practices relating to electronic submission of academic works. The authors surveyed 16 radiologic journals that are indexed in the Index Medicus and available in our medical center library. They compared the manuscript submission policies of these journals as outlined in recent issues of the journals and the corresponding worldwide web sites. The authors compared the journals on the following criteria: web site access to instructions; electronic submission of text, both with regard to initial submission and final submission of the approved document; text hardcopy requirements; word processing software restrictions; electronic submission of figures, figure hardcopy requirements; figure file format restrictions; and electronic submission media. Although the trend seems to be toward electronic submission, there currently is no clear-cut standard of practice. Because all of the journals that accept electronic documents also require a hardcopy, many of the advantages gained through electronic submission are nullified. In addition, many publishers only utilize electronic documents after a manuscript has been accepted, thus utilizing the benefits of digital information in the printing process but not in the actual submission and peer-review process.

Electronic submission of academic works: a survey of current editorial practices of radiologic journals.

Computers are nearly ubiquitous in academic medicine, and authors create and compile much of their work in the electronic environment, yet the process of manuscript submission often fails to utilize the advantages of electronic communication. The purpose of this report is to review the submission policies of major academic journals in the field of radiology and assess current editorial practices relating to electronic submission of academic works. The authors surveyed 16 radiologic journals that are indexed in the Index Medicus and available in our medical center library. They compared the manuscript submission policies of these journals as outlined in recent issues of the journals and the corresponding worldwide web sites. The authors compared the journals on the following criteria: web site access to instructions; electronic submission of text, both with regard to initial submission and final submission of the approved document; text hardcopy requirements; word processing software restrictions; electronic submission of figures, figure hardcopy requirements; figure file format restrictions; and electronic submission media. Although the trend seems to be toward electronic submission, there currently is no clear-cut standard of practice. Because all of the journals that accept electronic documents also require a hardcopy, many of the advantages gained through electronic submission are nullified. In addition, many publishers only utilize electronic documents after a manuscript has been accepted, thus utilizing the benefits of digital information in the printing process but not in the actual submission and peer-review process.

Developing a medical library website at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

This article describes the development of the Central Medical Library website at the Medical Faculty of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The aim of the website is to serve as a guide to the library resources and services. The website is built with a uniform graphic design and a menu driven structure. The structure partitions information space by providing meaningful subject categories that enable efficient exploring by browsing. Because the categories are limited in their granularity a search engine based on the Harvest system is included. An evaluation of website access was carried out by analysing and exploring the web server log files using data warehousing and OLAP (On‐Line Analytical Processing) technology. Finally some possibilities for future development of the website are suggested.

Meeting the Information Needs of Students and Professionals: The Health Informatics Education Center at the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

(1998). Meeting the Information Needs of Students and Professionals: The Health Informatics Education Center at the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library. Medical Reference Services Quarterly: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 85-90.

Approaching equity in consumer health information delivery: NetWellness.

The growing public interest in health and wellness information stems from many sources, including social changes related to consumers' rights and women's health movements, and economic changes brought about by the managed health care revolution. Public, hospital, and medical center libraries have been ill-equipped to meet the increasing need for consumer-oriented materials, even though a few notable programs have been established. The "Information Superhighway" could be an effective tool for sharing health information if access to telecomputing equipment and training were available to those with an information need. The University of Cincinnati Medical Center, with its libraries in the leading role, is delivering NetWellness, an electronic consumer health library service, to residents of 29 counties in three midwestern states. Users connect directly through the Internet, through regional Free-Nets, and by visiting one of 43 public access sites where networked workstations have been installed. The continued success of the project depends on developing partnerships, providing quality content and maintaining fair access.

Electronic textbook in human physiology

The Georgetown University Medical Center Library was awarded a U.S. Department of Education grant in collaboration with the Physiology Department of the Medical School to create an “electronic textbook.” The purpose of the project is to enhance learning and visualization by developing a prototype knowledge base of core instructional materials stored in digitized format on Macintosh computers. This self‐instructional program is based on the principle that certain physiological concepts need to be translated by the human brain into dynamic images from the static pictures and words with which they are presented. Computer graphics and the animation designed on the Macintosh allow detailed demonstration of physiologic concepts in color. Today, the project includes chapters on cardiovascular, renal, and endocrine systems. The electronic textbook has been used for two years by the medical students.

Getting Librarian Help: Decreasing the Time in Literature Searches

Getting Librarian Help: Decreasing the Time in Literature Searches

The CD-ROM experience at Loma Linda: the issues of training, logistics, and creative financing.

Since the end of 1987, the Medical Center and University libraries at Loma Linda have progressed from stand-alone CD-ROM-based workstations for access to MEDLINE to networked CD-ROM access to a variety of databases. T.O.M.M.I. (Total Online Medical Material Integration) is a CD-ROM-based wide area network linking the Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda University, and other entities in Loma Linda, California. T.O.M.M.I., a microcomputer-based system, represents the implementation of IAIMS at Loma Linda. In addition to discussing the issue of "downsizing" campus-wide information networks, this article focuses on the issues of training, handling of logistical problems, and the use of creative financing.

The Food and Nutrition Board

Dr. Darby is Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Honorary Curator for the History of Nutrition at the Medical Center Library at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennesee. He is responsible for the History of Nutrition Collection at Vanderbilt University and personally owns a most extensive collection of historical documents and books on nutrition and related sciences. Dr. Darby is Archivist of the American Institute of Nutrition.

Meeting the Information Needs of Nursing Students

Reference librarians in large academic medical center libraries deal with a variety of user groups with markedly different needs and skills. Undergraduate nursing students in particular have unique requirements. To help these students effectively with a small reference staff, librarians at the Indiana University School of Medicine Library developed a library instruction module for use in an introductory nursing research class. This article describes the module and the particular needs of the nursing students.