This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Where to Find Reliable Consumer Health Information

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.

7.Consumer

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

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Changing Resources at HSLS

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

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

African American Surgeon Exhibit

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.

9.Opening-Doors_cason_w-capAlso 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.9.Opening-Doors_panel_w-cap

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

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Recovery.gov

10.Recovery

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

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

GreenFILE: A Database for Information about the Environment

11.GreenFILEGreenFILE 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

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Rand Corporation Documents Database

12.RandThe 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

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

HSLS Schedule of Classes March-April 2010

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 OpinionOh 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.

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

HSLS Staff News

The HSLS Staff News section includes recent HSLS presentations, publications, staff changes, staff promotions, degrees earned, etc.

News

Michele Klein-Fedyshin, reference librarian, has been appointed liaison to WPIC and is serving on the WPIC Nursing Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council.

14.Staff-News_barb_sue_w-capCongratulations to these HSLS staff members who recently received University of Pittsburgh staff recognition awards for 20 years of service: Barbara May and Sue Burke.
White-sq
Publications

Charles Wessel, head of hospital services published “Evaluation of a self-paced learning module to teach responsible literature searching for research” in the Journal of the Medical Library Association, 98(1):82-85, 2010 with co-authors Nancy Tannery, associate director for user services and Barbara Epstein, HSLS director.