Nonmediated use of MEDLINE and TOXLINE by pathologists and pharmacists

Pathologists and pharmacists have used terminals in their departmental areas successfully to perform searches on MEDLINE and TOXLINE, during the period from fall 1974 through August 1975; MEDLINE has been used more than TOXLINE. In the Department of Pathology at the University of Maryland Health Sciences Center, the annual rate of combined mediated and nonmediated use of MEDLINE increased from 142 search sessions to 432, over half of the identified use being by three individuals. About half of the total potential users from each group tried MEDLINE or TOXLINE at least once. Nine pathologists and seven pharmacists used MEDLINE five or more times. Five of the individuals in each group were "intensive" users, who concentrated more than half of their sessions within two months. Vocabulary experience and systems problems are touched on. Most individuals learned to use the systems from one another or in individual sessions with the authors, although a twenty-five page "minimanual" has also been used by a limited group.