Why are they not accessing it? User barriers to clinical information access

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences Librarianship
• Information Science
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• The Medical Library Association's (MLA) InSight Initiative facilitates collaboration between library and industry partners.
• Previous summits have addressed challenges in serving users within the clinical environment.
• The focus is on understanding user information discovery and access behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand how users discover and access information in clinical settings.
• To develop a framework for identifying user pain points in information access.
• To create educational content for librarians and publishers on user behavior.

Main Methods:

• A summit convened library and industry partners to discuss user information needs.
• Participants formed working groups to develop tangible products.
• An End User Advisory Board provided feedback on proposed solutions.

Main Results:

• A framework for understanding user pain points in clinical information discovery was established.
• Development of MLA InSight Initiative Learning content to educate stakeholders on user behavior.
• Discussions focused on actionable solutions to improve information access.

Conclusions:

• Collaboration between librarians and publishers is crucial for enhancing clinical information discovery.
• Understanding user pain points is key to developing effective solutions.
• Ongoing dialogue and educational initiatives are vital for improving information access in healthcare settings.