Teaching MEDLINE to non-urban end users

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences Information Management
• Medical Library Training
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Nonurban healthcare professionals require efficient access to biomedical literature.
• Microcomputer-based searching of databases like MEDLINE is crucial for evidence-based practice.
• The National Library of Medicine (NLM) supports initiatives to improve information access in underserved areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a training program designed to teach nonurban health professionals how to search NLM's MEDLINE database using microcomputers.
• To evaluate participant satisfaction with the training methods and materials.
• To gather data for future analysis on search behavior and challenges.

Main Methods:

• A two-year training program was conducted by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Library.
• The program involved lectures, online demonstrations, and hands-on practice sessions.
• Participant data included profession, specialty, prior microcomputer experience, and hospital size.

Main Results:

• On-site evaluations revealed high participant satisfaction with trainer communication, preparation, content delivery, and visual aids.
• The training program successfully broadened its scope from physicians to include other health professionals.
• Data collection was completed for 334 seminar participants.

Conclusions:

• The training program demonstrated initial success in engaging nonurban health professionals in MEDLINE searching.
• High satisfaction suggests the program's potential for improving access to biomedical information in nonurban settings.
• Further analysis of follow-up data is needed to determine long-term impact and identify persistent challenges.