Intelligent purchasing in Trent: information for decision-making in the region's health authorities

The realization of an evidence-based health service presents opportunities for libraries to make a direct contribution to the decision-making process in the delivery of health care. An example of such an opportunity is given through a description of the Trent Working Group on Acute Purchasing, a network of health authority purchasers that takes a research-based approach to making purchasing decisions. The Working Group is supported by a multidisciplinary research team, which includes an Information Officer. The role of the Information Officer in supporting the process of the Working Group is described below; namely in the setting of research priorities, in contributing to research projects and in disseminating the outputs of the Working Group. The benefits of being involved in such a project, both to the information service and to the Information Officer, are summarized.