February 2010 Issue

Bates’ Visual Guide to Physical Examination, the online version of the classic textbook on physical examination and history taking, is now available.  This electronic guide consists of lessons organized by body systems, with each lesson providing detailed explanations of examination procedures and demonstrations of specific techniques via streaming video.

To access Bates’ Visual Guide to Physical Examination, type “Bates Visual Guide” into the Pitt Resources Quick Search box on the HSLS home page. This resource can also be found in the HSLS Databases A – Z list.   A short tutorial on accessing and using Bates’ Visual Guide is available.

To view the videos, users must have Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher and Windows Media Player 9 or newer installed on their PC (Bates is not compatible with Macintosh products).  Due to licensing restrictions, use of Bates’ Visual Guide is currently limited to individuals with current University of Pittsburgh computer accounts.

The latest print version of this resource (Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 10th edition) is still available in the reference sections of Falk Library, UPMC Shadyside Library, and UPMC Children’s Hospital – Blaxter Library. The call number is RC76 B38 2009.

~ Mary Lou Klem

First CONSULT, from the producers of MD CONSULT, provides health professionals with authoritative, continuously updated, evidence-based, point-of-care information. Information is based on multiple sources including, but not limited to, respected textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, evidence-based databases, drug alerts, practice guidelines, and position papers reviewed and edited by opinion leaders in clinical practice.

Evidence is summarized, where possible, from systematic reviews of primary research from the Cochrane Collaboration. Evidence-based guidelines from the National Guideline Clearinghouse and the Web sites of relevant learned societies, professional associations, and government organizations are also included.

You can search for information by medical topic, differential diagnosis, or procedure.

Medical topics are broken down into easy-to-navigate pages with information on background, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and prevention.  A summary is given at the beginning of the text and evidence-based references and guidelines are part of the resources listed at the end.

Differential Diagnosis provides a rapid evaluation of your patient’s complaint with interactive access to potential diagnoses ordered by age and prevalence.

Procedures provides clear systematic guidance of procedures integral to the practice of medicine across many specialties. Videos and animations are included.

First CONSULT is designed for use at point of care and is included in search results on the library’s Clinical Focus search tool. To access it directly, type “First CONSULT” in the search.HSLS box on the HSLS home page.  It can be accessed remotely as well. For questions, email Ask A Librarian.

Parts of this article were reprinted from MD CONSULT.

~ Linda Hartman

At the beginning of February, Pittsburgh was subjected to an exceedingly large snowfall.  As a result, the University and its libraries were forced to close for three workdays as workers struggled to clear the streets and sidewalks.

Had such an event occurred before the advent of easy access to electronic resources, our users would not have been able to consult the library’s books and journals for questions related to patient care and research.  But during this unprecedented library closing, library employees were able to maintain services, answer questions and provide access from home.

Users logged onto our Web site to consult databases, e-books and e-journals.  Questions were submitted through our Ask-A-Librarian button, and librarians conducted mediated searches and provided reference assistance.  Document delivery services for urgent patient-related questions also continued without disruption.  Computer services staff kept the Web site updated about our hours and services.

And what was one of the most common questions submitted to Ask-A-Librarian?  Our conscientious users were worried about penalties for late return of borrowed books!  I’m pleased to report borrowing periods were extended for books due while we were closed.

On February 2 this year, our neighbor Punxatawney Phil predicted that winter would last six more weeks.  In the meantime, you can rest assured that access to HSLS resources and services will help you make it through to springtime!

Rapid Research Notes is a new resource for timely scientific communication from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Initial content comes from PLoS Currents: Influenza, a new Web site for sharing H1N1 research from open access publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS).

Unlike articles in PLoS’ regular journals, articles on the PLoS Currents: Influenza site are moderated rather than peer-reviewed to facilitate rapid availability to the research community. Reader comments are welcome. The Web site is based on Google’s Knol software. Similar in concept to a Web-based wiki, Knol is an easy-to-use platform for formal knowledge sharing, with author-controlled options for collaboration and communication.

Articles on PLoS Currents: Influenza constitute Rapid Research Notes’ first collection. They are available in PubMed Central, the open access archive of biomedical and life sciences journals maintained by NLM’s National Center for Biotechnology Information.

~ Patricia Weiss

You are probably familiar with how to search for relevant research articles using PubMed.  You enter your search terms, get a long list of results, scan the titles, skim an abstract, decide you would like to read the entire article, and then click a few (or many) links before finally arriving at the full-text article itself.

Pubget is designed to remove those final steps out of the equation by not only helping you search for articles of interest, but also supplying you with an immediate PDF as part of the results.

This does not mean that you are getting unlimited access to free articles.  The only way to access fulltext is if the e-journal is open access or if it is licensed by HSLS. What makes Pubget unique is that it offers a much faster way of getting to the information you need.  According to their Mission Statement:

“Each year, scientists spend about a half-billion minutes searching for biomedical literature online. This is time they could better spend curing disease and building the future. Pubget’s mission is to give them that time back.”

One convenient feature of Pubget is that the home page provides customizable links to top scientific journals, thereby allowing you to easily browse the most recent issues of your favorite publications and instantly read the PDF of an interesting article.

You can also create a personal library of articles on the site, as well as take advantage of the Pubget RSS feed to receive automatic updates on your favorite topics without recreating your search each time.

Pubget’s newest feature is PaperPlane, which helps you immediately access PDFs upon selecting an abstract in PubMed, via a bookmark in your toolbar.

Presently, Pubget is free, although the developers mention that “premium services” are coming soon. So now is the time to try Pubget, take a look at their blog, and see if it really does give you back your time!

~ Carrie Iwema

Since 2000, HSLS has built its e-book collection from a small core of medical texts to today’s collection of around 3,000 titles.  In 2009, we surveyed a random sample of our library users to understand how they use HSLS e-books for clinical care, research, administration, teaching and learning.  Results confirm that e-books, accessible 24/7, with full-text search capabilities, support many user activities, especially clinical care and research.

Seventy-five percent of attending physicians and 86% of interns, residents and fellows use e-books to support clinical care.  Fifty-four percent of faculty members and 76.5% of postdocs and fellows use e-books for research purposes.  As one respondent said, “It is an invaluable resource for fellows like me who have both clinical duties, as well as research obligations, to have easy access to electronic versions of journals and books.” Fifty-one percent of students have used e-books to complete assignments, but only 21% of teachers have assigned an e-book class reading, possibly pointing to a need for further investigation.

In keeping with other studies of e-book users, we found that most users want a print book for extended reading tasks.  They can rest assured that the print collection will not disappear. But as other studies have found, we saw that short reading tasks are well supported by e-books. Users who need to locate a small section of information in a large amount of text appreciate that feature of e-books.  The HSLS full-text e-book search tool is used by 66% of respondents and 74% of users rated it as highly as Google Books in usefulness.

Our users don’t have extra time to seek information. They recognize e-books can help:

“Electronic from home is appreciated and preferred.  I have no time to go to Scaife.  My last presentation I used an e-book, and this is critical to me. I printed out graphs, pictures etc., giving proper credit and it made the difference in my presentation and verification of data.  If UPMC is going to be far reaching, its access to data needs to reach all those who may need it.”

Thank you to all survey participants. The results will help us build an even stronger library collection.

~ Barbara Folb

WISER, the Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders, is a system designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents, as well as during training sessions and exercises in preparation for such events.  WISER provides rapid access to a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.

Developed by the National Library of Medicine, WISER is available for Microsoft Windows™ platforms (both PCs and Windows Mobile devices) and Palm OS mobile devices. Download WISER free-of-charge. A Web-based WISER supports Web browsers for both PCs and PDAs, including BlackBerry and iPhone.
Training materials, including scenario-based modules, are also available for downloading.

Parts of this article were reprinted from WISER.

~ Linda Hartman

Looking for easy-to-understand, trustworthy health information aimed at the general public?  Try search.HSLS.ConsumerHealth.  This portal leads you to government and association resources in MedlinePlus, UPMC patient education materials, classes and workshops at UPMC hospitals, health news, information to improve the quality and safety of your health care, books and videos in HSLS and area public libraries, and patient and family services in the Pittsburgh area.

Information is updated on a continuous basis.  For example, MedlinePlus released a new version of the A.D.A.M. Online Medical Encyclopedia that includes approximately 400 new Patient Instruction pages, covering pre-operative information and instructions, discharge instructions, self-care instructions, and questions to ask your doctor.

~ Jill Foust

Due to budget restraints, HSLS has canceled a number of databases and journals. Most decisions were made based on metrics regarding usage statistics and cost-per-use.

Databases to which we no longer subscribe include Allied & Complementary Medicine, antimicrobe.org, BoardCertifiedDocs, and ImagesMD.

Also cancelled were AudioCDs in Emergency Medicine, Family Practice, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, and Urology.

The journal titles listed below are no longer available in the HSLS Collection.  Articles from these journals may be requested through Document Delivery.

Acta Dermato-Venereologica
Acta Diabetologica
Acta Odontologica Scandinavica
Acta Physiologica Hungarica
American Journal of Veterinary Research
Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback
Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Biological Chemistry
British Journal of General Practice
British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Clinical Chemistry & Lab Med
Culture Medicine and Psychiatry
Clinical Nephrology
Clinical Neuropathology
Clio Medica
Der Radiologe
Die Pharmazie
Endocrine Research
Ethics and Behavior
Histology and Histopathology
International Dental Journal
International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
International Journal of Health Services
International Journal of Molecular Medicine
International Journal of Oncology
International Ophthalmology
Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour
Journal of Athletic Training
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy
Journal of Dental Research
Journal of Medical Biography
Journal of Oral Implantology
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
Journal or Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy
Journal of Periodontology
Journal of Psychology
Journal of Rational Emotive & Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Journal of the American Osteopathic Association
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
Journal of the History of the Neurosciences
Journal of the Indian Medical Association
Journal of Vestibular Research: Equilibrium & Orientation
Medical Physics
Military Medicine
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Medicine
Neuro-Ophthalmology
New Directions for Youth Development
Nurses Drug Alert
Nursing Education Perspectives
Nursing Leadership
Nursing Times: NT
Oncology Reports
Pathology Patterns Reviews
Pediatric Dentistry
Psychiatry
Psychological Research
Quintessence International
South African Medical Journal
Strabismus
Stress and Health
Thrombosis and Haemostasis
Tumori
Urological Research
Veterinary Pathology

The savings recouped from cancellation of little-used titles enabled the addition of the following new e-journals:

Critical Care
Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica
Intensive & Critical Care Nursing
International Journal for Parasitology
JACC Cardiovascular Interventions
Journal of AAPOS
Journal of Biomedical Optics
Journal of Nursing Education
Journal of the American College of Radiology
Journal of Visualized Experiments
Molecular & Biochemical Parasitology
Research in Gerontological Nursing
Science Translational Medicine
Science Express
Statistical Communications in Infectious Diseases
Tuberculosis

~ Leslie Czechowski

Falk Library of the Health Sciences recently hosted a national traveling exhibit honoring African American academic surgeons. “Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons” is a collaborative effort between the National Library of Medicine and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore.

Several events offered opportunities to view the exhibit. In November, students from the University of Pittsburgh Premedical Organization for Minority Students (P.O.M.S) visited the exhibit and listened as Kia McLean Washington, surgical resident at the University of Pittsburgh, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, shared her journey of choosing a surgical career.

Also in November, Fredrick D. Cason Jr., surgeon-in-chief, Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center and associate professor of surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, gave a public presentation on “The African American Surgeon: A Century of Growth.”

In January, Velma Scantlebury, transplant surgeon, professor of surgery, assistant dean for community education, director of the division of transplantation, and director, University of South Alabama Regional Transplant Center, moderated a career panel that included:

• Bradley Stephens, 4th year medical student, University of Pittsburgh
• P. Dafé Ogagan, MD, resident, Department of Urological Surgery, UPMC
• Tracy Short, MD, resident, General Surgery, UPMC Mercy
• William Simmons, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Anesthesiology, UPMC Shadyside

Panelists shared their experiences leading to a career in medicine and impacting their specialty choice.

The Health Sciences Library System is grateful to Paula Davis, assistant vice chancellor for health sciences diversity, for her help in planning the events surrounding the exhibit.

~ Renae Barger

Recovery.gov was a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Its purpose is “to allow taxpayers to see precisely what entities receive Recovery money in addition to how and where the money is spent.”  Users can track contracts, grants, and loans in a particular state or data can be located by zip code or congressional district. Summaries of each award are also available.  Beginning in 2010, recipients of awards are required to report how these funds were spent. In addition to specific funding data, Recovery.gov tracks funding and awards progress, jobs created or saved, and the largest award by recipients. The Web site allows taxpayers to report suspected fraud, waste or abuse of Recovery funds.

Parts of this article were reprinted from Recovery.gov.

~ Nancy Tannery

GreenFILE is a freely accessible research database focusing on the relationship between human beings and the environment, with well-researched and accessible information on topics ranging from global warming to recycling to alternate fuel sources and beyond. It draws on the connection between the environment and disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology, and what can be done at each level to minimize the effects.

GreenFILE is comprised of scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports. The initial release includes more than 600 titles, dating back to 1913, and provides the full text from open access titles. GreenFILE is produced by EBSCO Publishing.

Parts of this article were reprinted from EBSCO.

~ Jill Foust

The Rand Corporation is a private non-profit organization that publishes information on public policy issues, including topics relating to behavioral sciences; economics and statistics; health; education, and welfare; information sciences; international studies; management sciences; and technology and applied sciences. Rand helps improve public policy through extensive research and analysis.

The Rand Database searches the public archives of Rand documents dating back to 1948. The database is easy-to-use and searchable by document number, author, title, and research category. You can also use keywords to search entire publications. In many cases, both full text and summary documents are available for download as PDF files.

~ Jill Foust

HSLS offers classes on database searching, software applications such as Adobe Photoshop, bibliographic management, molecular biology and genetics, and library orientations.  For more information, visit the online course descriptions.

Classes are held on the first floor of Falk Library (200 Scaife Hall) in classroom 1 and conference room B, and on the second floor in the Computer and Media Center classroom 2. Some classes are also held in the conference room at UPMC Shadyside Libraries. All classes are open to faculty, staff and students of the schools of the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC.

No registration is required for any of these classes.  Seating for classes is first-come, first-served, until the class is full.

Classes marked with an asterisk (*) qualify for American Medical Association Category 2 continuing education credit.

Class schedules are subject to change.  Please consult the online class calendar for the most current information.

HSLS ORIENTATION

Introduction to HSLS Resources and Services at Falk Library
Offered upon request to groups or individuals. Call 412-648-8796.

Introduction to HSLS Services at UPMC Shadyside
Offered upon request to groups or individuals. Call 412-623-2415.

SEARCHING DATABASES

PubMed Basics* (Falk Library Classroom 1)
Tuesday, March 16                       1-2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 6                           9:30-11a.m.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS RESOURCES

Microarray Data Analysis* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, March 3                    1-3:30 pm.

Peptide Mass Fingerprinting for Protein Identification* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, March 17                  1-3:30 p.m.

Bioinformatics for Proteomics Studies* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, March 24                  1-3:30 p.m.

DNA Analysis Tools* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, March 31                  1-3:30 p.m.

Gene Regulation Resources* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, April 7                      1-3:30 p.m.

Protein Sequence Analysis* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, April 14                     1-3:30 p.m.

Sequence Similarity Searching* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, April 21                     1-3:30 p.m.

Cancer Informatics* (Falk Library Conference Room B)
Wednesday, April 28                     1-3:30 p.m.

SOFTWARE TRAINING

EndNote Basics (Falk Library Classroom 2)
(Note: This class is usually full.  Please arrive 15 minutes in advance to ensure seating.)
Wednesday, March 24                   1-3 p.m.
Monday, April 12                           11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Adobe Photoshop for Beginners (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Thursday, March 25                      10 a.m.-noon
Thursday, April 22                        10 a.m.-noon

PowerPoint for Beginners (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Thursday, April 29                        10 a.m.-noon

Advanced PowerPoint for Presentations (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)
Tuesday, April 13                          11 a.m.-1 p.m.

PowerPoint for Beginners and Advanced PowerPoint (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Thursday, April 8                           10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The WOW Factor: PowerPoint for Posters (Falk Library Classroom 2)
Thursday, April 1                           10 a.m.-noon

Hands-On Classes

Searching for Nursing Articles Using CINAHL (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)
Tuesday, March 23                        8:30-9:30 a.m.

Finding Full-Text Articles (UPMC Shadyside Libraries)
Friday, March 5                             Noon-1:30 p.m.
Also offered upon request to groups or individuals. Call 412-623-2415.

Search for Evidence: Locating Evidence Based Health Care Information
(UPMC Shadyside Libraries)
Monday, April 26                           9-10 a.m.

LUNCH WITH A LIBRARIAN
These informal, brown-bag lunches are held in Falk Library conference room B. Bring your own lunch. Drinks and dessert are provided. For more information, visit the online descriptions.

Google Scholar vs. MEDLINE for Health Sciences Literature Searching
Monday, March 15                         Noon-1 p.m.

Let’s be Creative.  Jazz Up Your Fliers and Presentations
Monday, March 29                         Noon-1 p.m.

May We Suggest Something in a Gene…?: Sensors, Database Ads, and Other PubMed Discovery Features
Thursday, April 15                         Noon-1 p.m.

Thursday @ Three HSLS UPMC Shadyside Libraries Information Series
These informal sessions are held in the Conference Room at UPMC Shadyside Libraries.

CME for Free
Thursday, March 18                       3-4 p.m.

Guidelines, Appropriate Use Criteria, Expert Opinion—Oh My!
Thursday, April 1                           3-4 p.m.

CUSTOMIZED CLASSES
Customized classes can be developed for your department, course, or other group.

LEARNING @ YOUR PACE
These online tutorials provide information on getting started at HSLS, focusing on the Web site and popular resources.