Supporting Evidence-Based Medicine: A Survey of U.S. Medical Librarians

Abstract

This study sought to identify medical librarians’ roles in supporting evidence-based medicine (EBM) practice; determine whether medical librarians’ work settings, work experiences, or job titles made a difference in their EBM responsibilities; and find out medical librarians’ perceptions of their roles in EBM practice. An online survey was distributed to U.S. medical librarians. The results showed that medical librarians had positive perceptions of their EBM-related responsibilities, which were diverse and specific. Their work experience, work settings, and job title categories related to some of their EBM responsibilities, as well as the nature of some of the responsibilities.

KEYWORDS:

• Evidence-based medicine
• medical librarians
• questionnaires
• surveys

Acknowledgments

The authors’ sincerest thanks go to Dr. David Armbruster for editing.

The preliminary data analysis results were presented at the Canadian Association for Information Science (CAIS) Annual Conference; Ottawa, ON, May 28–30, 2009, and published in its online conference proceedings. Part of this research was presented at Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association (SC/MLA 2009) Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN, October 28–November 1, 2009.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ping Li

Ping Li, PhD ([email protected]) is Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367-1597.

Lin Wu

Lin Wu, MLIS, AHIP ([email protected]) is Associate Professor and Reference Librarian, Health Science Center Library and Biocommunications Center, University of Tennessee, 877 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163.