UAMS Participates in Medical Knowledge Resource Survey

Australia-based Clineguide, The Residency and Fellowship Training Programs of the University of Arkansas College of Medicine, and UAMS Library Learning Resource Center recently joined together to survey residents and fellows about their use of medical knowledge resources. Dr. Jeanne Heard, College of Medicine, wanted the residents/fellows to complete the survey in order to help UAMS improve access to relevant medical knowledge resources, since improved access would help make work-ups and patient care activities more efficient for the residents/fellows.

The survey covered:

• access to medical knowledge resources at home, and
• at the UAMS Library;
• hardcopy medical knowledge resources used during working shifts;
• the use of PDA medical knowledge resources;
• referencing;
• common clinical information needs,
• diagnostic questions;
• clinical practice guidelines;
• clinical tools;
• frequency of use of medical knowledge resources;
• disease presentation summaries;
• drug information; and
• a wish list of resources.

Residents and fellows had the opportunity to complete the survey online using QuestionMark Perception, a testing program that allows for tests or surveys to be completed online using an Internet connection. They were also given the choice of completing the survey on paper. More participants chose to complete the survey online.

Those residents/fellows that did complete the rather lengthy survey were entered into a random drawing. There were five winners and each won a $100 bill. The winners were Laura Sisterhen, James S. Bridges, Joni Carmack, Daniel Brown, and Kristi Wenger. The director of the Library, Mary L. Ryan, drew the names of the winners July 31, 2002 and the winners were notified that same day.

The participants represented the fields of internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, ob/byn, and other fields such as med/ped and radiology. The results of the survey will help the Library and other medical knowledge resource suppliers to offer the support necessary for the residents/fellows.

Heather Smith