Research & Statistics

Studies

Patient care and clinical decision making is improved when health professionals use librarian-led information services and the library.

Do library services really have an impact on clinical decision making and improved patient care outcomes? How do physicians, residents, and nurses perceive the value of information they receive from the library and librarian?

Read these articles to learn how library services reduce hospital costs, length of stay, changes in diagnosis and clinical decision making and improved patient outcomes:

• Marshall JG,  Sollenberger J, Easterby-Gannett S, Morgan LK, Klem ML Cavanaugh SK, Oliver KB, Thompson CA, Romanosky N, and Hunter S. The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multisite study. J Med Libr Assoc. 2013 January; 101(1): 38–46. doi: 10.3163/1536-5050.101.1.007
  See also the NN/LM MAR Value of Library Services website for regional results and summary reports.
• Marshall JG. The impact of the hospital library on clinical decision making: the Rochester study. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1992.  Apr; 80(2):169–78.
• Klein MS, Ross FV, Adams DL, Gilbert CM. Effect of online literature searching on length of stay and patient-care costs. Acad Med 1994;69(6):489-495.

What did the 1987 “King Study” discover about the role of hospital library resources and services in hospital settings? Are these results still relevant today?

Read this landmark study and learn why 21^st century researchers continue to develop studies built upon the “King Study”:

• King DN. The contribution of hospital library information services to clinical care: a study in eight hospitals. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1987.  Oct; 75(4):291–301.

What is the value of using library and information services to the hospital/health care institution? What kinds of information does management recognize as valid measures of the contributions librarians make to the bottom line (i.e., cost-based accounting, return on investment)?

Read these articles and learn the tools and resources in these studies could be used to communicate your value.

• Abels EG, Cogdill KW, and Zach L. Identifying and communicating the contributions of library and information services in hospitals and academic health sciences centers. J Med Libr Assoc. 2004.  Jan; 92(1):46–55.
• Abels E.G, Codgill K.W, Zach L. The contributions of library and information services to hospitals and academic health sciences centers: a preliminary taxonomy. J Med Libr Assoc. 2002 Jul;90(3):276–84.

MLA Funded Research

MLA advances a culture where analysis and application of health information research is commonplace—where health information practitioners use the best available evidence when making a decision.

Since 2003, the association has funded health information research studies through the Donald A.B. Lindberg Research Fellowship. Lindberg fellows conduct studies that expand the research knowledge base by linking the information services provided by librarians to improved health care and advances in biomedical research.

The following published studies were funded through MLA’s Donald A.B. Lindberg Research Fellowship.

• 2010: Joanne Gard Marshall, Ph.D.
  “The Value of Library and Information Services for Patient Care”
• 2009: Sujin Kim
  ” A study of microscopic imaging description through captions published in academic biomedical journals
• 2008: Mark Puterbaugh
  ” Evaluate a virtual 3-D environment as a tool to enhance student nursing and facilitate access to nursing, medical and healthcare information”
• 2004: Timothy Patrick, Ph.D.
  “Evidence-Based Information Retrieval in Bioinformatics”
• 2003: Catherine Arnott Smith, Ph.D.
  “Ten Thousand Questions: Understanding How Consumers Express Their Health Information Needs”

For a complete listing of Lindberg Fellows visit the Grants and Scholarship page.