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Volume 14 (4)
Volume 14, Issue 4, 1994
J Contin Educ Health Prof 1994; 14(4):232-238
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Visiting Librarian Program
Jennifer L. Craig, RN, PhD
Susan Kuruscz, RN, MLS
Patrick Gannon, MD, CHD, MLS
A b s t r a c t
Physicians in British Columbia, Canada, had indicated that two major learning needs are ( 1) to keep up with the overwhelming amount of medical literature, and (2) to answer clinical question quickly. To meet these needs the Visiting Librarian Program was designed whereby a physician was visited at home or in the office by a librarian, and taught, one-to-one, to use a home or office computer and software, Grateful Med, to conduct a literature search of the National Library of Medicine, Washington, DC. About 12% of the total physician population in the province enrolled. A telephone survey of a small random sample found that 59% regularly searched the literature and found the program useful. Forty-one percent did not continue to search, citing lack of time, other resources, and computer troubles as reasons. The program was funded by the BC Medical Association at a total cost $150,00 (Cdn). Seventy-five percent of this amount was for librarian salaries, 12% for search costs, 8% for travel, and the remainder for administrative expenses. As an individualized CME program offered to physicians in their own setting, the Visiting Librarian Program can be considered successful.
Keywords: Computers; continuing medical education; individualized instruction; literature review; medical informatics; self-directed learning
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