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Aim for Excellence

With Information from Medical Librarians

Improve the metrics you care about: your patients’ experience, the health of your community, and the per-person costs of healthcare.

Research demonstrates that librarian-led information services significantly contribute to your institution's mission.

PROVIDE BETTER CARE WITH INFORMATION FROM MEDICAL LIBRARIANS

Notable Research Data (see below for full references and links to studies)
Provide Better Care

  • 39% of users of clinical librarian services reported a positive impact on quality of patient care; plus
    • 45% reported that services ensured that interventions were based on best practice or current evidence;
    • 25% reported improvement in patient and staff safety; and
    • 16% reported reduced referral, tests, and readmissions. (Brettle, A, et.al., 2016)
  • 86% of post-study participants surveyed rated their level of satisfaction with the just-in-time information service as having a positive impact on the care they provided to their patients (McGowan, J,  et. al, 2008)
  • 75% said that they definitely or probably handled patient care differently using information obtained through the library (Marshall, JG, et. al., 2014)
  • 88% of respondents on the intervention team reported changing a treatment based on new information skills taught by a librarian, and 79% changed a treatment plan based on a search done by the librarian (Aitken, EM, et.al, 2011)

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MAKE BETTER DECISIONS WITH INFORMATION FROM MEDICAL LIBRARIANS

Notable Research Data

  • In one Veterans Administration (VA) study (8 hospitals) where clinical searches were conducted by librarians, health professionals said about search results:
    • 95%—useful to direct patient care;
    • 89%—reinforced a mode of treatment;
    • 49%—influenced the advice to patient and family;
    • 49%—altered the mode of treatment;
    • 30%—influenced the choice of treatment;
    • 30%—affected the choice of drugs;
    • 16%—affected the choice of tests; andMake Better Clinical Decisions
    • 14%—influenced the diagnosis. (Jemison, K, et. al., 2009)

  • A study in 118 hospitals with more than 16,122 participants found that
    • 95% reported that information provided by a librarian resulted in better informed clinical decisions
    • 48% changed advice given to a patient;
    • 33% changed the choice of drugs;
    • 25% changed a diagnosis;
    • 23% changed the choice of tests;  and
    • 12% changed post-hospital care or treatment as a result of using resources and services provided by librarians or the library  (Marshall, JG, et. al., 2013)

  • A systematic review of 28 studies demonstrated a range of impacts including:
    • 37-97% impact on patient care;
    • 10-31% impact on diagnosis;
    • 20-51% change in choice of tests; and
    • 27-45% change in choice of therapy (Weightman, AL, et.al., 2005)

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AVOID ADVERSE EVENTS WITH INFORMATION FROM MEDICAL LIBRARIANS

Notable Research DataAvoid Adverse Events

  • In a large study across more than 110 hospitals:
    • 13% avoided misdiagnosis and adverse drug reactions;
    • 12% reduced medication errors;
    • 6% avoided patient mortality (Marshall, JG, et.al., 2013)
  • Health care professionals reported benefits as a result of information from search requests in 8 Veterans Administration hospitals:
    • 3% avoided adverse events or complications, while
    • 8% avoided patient mortality (Jemison, K, et. al., 2009)

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SAVE COSTS AND TIME; REDUCE LENGTH OF STAY WITH INFORMATION FROM MEDICAL LIBRARIANS

Notable Research Data

  • Librarian contributions to morning reports led to
    • a decrease in hospital length of stay of 2 days per case; and
    • median Save costs and time and reduce length of stayhospital charges were reduced by $3,618 per case (Banks, DE., et. al., 2007)
  • 85% of respondents reported that information provided by a librarian or through services provided by the library saved them time
    • average time saved was  2.5 hours per person per case (Marshall, JG, et. al. 2013)
  • 12% reported cost savings through reduced hospital length of stay (Brettle, A, et. al, 2016)
  • A systematic review of 28 studies indicated a 10-19% reduction in length of patient stay (Weightman, AL, et.al., 2005)
  • Librarians locate information more quickly and less expensively than clinicians, freeing up healthcare providers’ time so they could focus on patient care.
    • On average, librarians provided responses to questions 6.61 minutes more quickly than health professionals;
    • the average salary savings per search was $13.60 minimum for librarian searches. (McGowan, J, et. al, 2008)

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CITED RESEARCH

Aitken, EM, Powelson, SE, Reaume, RD, & Ghali, WA (2011). Involving clinical librarians at the point of care: results of a controlled intervention (full text). Academic Medicine, 86(12), 1508-1512.
DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e31823595cd

Banks, DE, Shi, R, Timm, DF, Christopher, KA, Duggar, DC, Comegys, M, & McLarty, J (2007). Decreased hospital length of stay associated with presentation of cases at morning report with librarian support (full text). Journal of the Medical Library Association, 95(4), 381-387.
DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.95.4.381

Brettle, A., Maden, M. and Payne, C. (2016), The impact of clinical librarian services on patients and health care organizations (full text). Health Information and Libraries Journal, 33: 100–120.
DOI: 10.1111/hir.12136

Jemison, K, Poletti, E, Schneider, J, Clark, N, Stone, RD (2009), Measuring Return on Investment in VA Libraries (abstract). Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 9:379-390.
DOI: 10.1080/15323260903253803

Luther, J (2008). University investment in the library: What’s the return?:A case study at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC).

Marshall, JG, Morgan, JC,  Thompson, CA, Wells, AL, (2014), Library and information services: impact on patient care quality (abstract; see your medical librarian for full article). International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 27(8):672 – 683
DOI: 10.1108/IJHCQA-10-2013-0119

Marshall JG, Sollenberger J, Easterby-Gannett S, et al. The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multisite study (full text). Journal of the Medical Library Association,101(1):38-46.
DOI: 10.3163/1536-5050.101.1.007

McGowan, J, Hogg, W, Campbell, C, & Rowan, M (2008), Just-in-time information improved decision-making in primary care: a randomized controlled trial (full text). PLoS One, 3(11), e3785.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003785

Tenopir, C (2010). Measuring the Value of the Academic Library: Return on Investment and Other Value Measures (full text). The Serials Librarian, 58:39-48.
DOI: 10.1080/03615261003623005

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