1. The Relationship between Evidence and Decision Making
Jonathan Eldredge, MLS, PhD
Miriam Libbey Keynote Speaker
Georgia Health Science Libraries Association. Annual Meeting
May 19, :00-5:00pm

2. Miriam Hawkins Libbey 1920-1984

3. “She always looked so lovely, so lady-like, so fragile and so impeccably turned out that it seemed impossible that such delicacy and gentleness could exist so harmoniously with steel-like determination and utter imperturbability.”
Mildred C. Langer
Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
July 1985

4. Miriam Libbey’s Accomplishments
Highly regarded teacher
Advocated for MLA certification
Promoted professional standards
Active MLA leader
Georgia Health Sciences Library Association, Chair

5. “Medical libraries are now faced with a world
of new techniques and a shortage of personnel.
Not only are more librarians needed, but librarians
already in the field must learn new
techniques..” 1967
Libbey MH. MLA certification: the certification program and education for medical librarianship. Bull Med Libr Assoc Jan;55(1):5-8. PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC198486

6. HAWKINS M. QUESTIONABLE MEDICAL LITERATURE AND THE LIBRARY: A SYMPOSIUM; THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE. Bull Med Libr Assoc Oct;51: PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC

7. “Medical literature which may be considered questionable comes from
a variety of sources, ranging from trained practitioners of well-organized
but unorthodox systems of therapeutics to full-blooded quacks who know
more about human credulity than about human disease. In between come
once-orthodox doctors who have defected from the ranks, pseudonutritionists,
faith healers, the obvious crackpot, and myriad others.”
HAWKINS M. QUESTIONABLE MEDICAL LITERATURE AND THE LIBRARY: A SYMPOSIUM; THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE. Bull Med Libr Assoc Oct;51: PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC198036

8. General Question:
How would you, as a 21st Century library or information practitioner guide an educated user in finding the best evidence?

9. Specific Question:
An obviously educated middle-aged individual approaches you to help her to determine which of two treatments her physician has suggested for her potentially-deadly or disabling condition. She can only choose one treatment.
What would be the ideal kind of evidence for her to use in making her decision?

10. An obviously educated middle-aged individual approaches you to help her determine which of two treatments her physician has suggested for her potentially-deadly or disabling condition.
What would be the ideal kind of evidence for her to use in making her decision?
Discuss your answer with your neighbor

11. Pairs Report

12. How We Support Evidence Based Practice
Question Formulation
Searching
Filtering by article type
Teaching EBP skills
Provide access to Point-of-Care tools
Access to authoritative information
Conduct systematic reviews
Others? Can you name any?

13. See the chapter on Evidence Based Practice

15. Question
What obstacles prevent members of our profession from more active engagement in supporting health professionals with EBP?
Brainstorm with your group

16. Scenario: Is this a realistic scenario? Is it an important decision?
You have a limited collection budget and you want to offer your clinicians a Point-of-Care (PoC) tool.
You are considering subscribing to a PoC but cannot decide which of two (2) comparably priced tools to select.
Is this a realistic scenario?
Is it an important decision?

17. More Questions: How will you decide?
You have a limited collection budget and you want to offer your clinicians a Point-of-Care (PoC) tool.
You are considering subscribing to a PoC but cannot decide which of two (2) comparably priced tools to select.
How will you decide?
What evidence will you marshal to make your decision?
Discuss with your partner or other neighbors

18. Discussion

20. Medical Library Association, Inc
Medical Library Association, Inc. Code for the Training and Certification of Medical Librarians. Bull Med Libr Assoc Oct;52(4): PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC

21. Code for the Training and Certification of Medical Librarians. 1964
“The program should include a series of seminars wherein library problems, both specific and theoretical, may be discussed in the context of the sponsoring library's practices, the practices of other libraries, and the library literature.”
Medical Library Association, Inc. Code for the Training and Certification of Medical Librarians. Bull Med Libr Assoc Oct;52(4): PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC198209

22. MLA Research Policies
1995
Librarians should apply the best available evidence to librarianship
2007
“Health information practitioners, just like their health care practitioner colleagues, use the best available evidence when making a decision.”

23. MLA Presidents’ Statements since 1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2007
2008
2010
2012
2013
2016

24. Breadth and Depth of EBP Diffusion in Health Professions
Year
PubMed References
2012
6,116
2013
6,125
2014
6,017
2015
5,824
2016
5,890

25. What Barriers Exist to EBLIP?
Brainstorm with yourself:
What barriers prevent you from using EBP approaches to your work?

26. What Barriers Exist to EBLIP?
Compare your brainstorming notes with your neighbor

27. Participant Brainstorming

28. The Relationship between Evidence and Decision Making
Jonathan Eldredge, MLS, PhD
Miriam Libbey Keynote Speaker
Georgia Health Science Libraries Association. Annual Meeting
May 19, :00-5:00pm
Copyright © Thursday May 17, 2018 by Jon Eldredge, PhD, Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA. All rights reserved.
No portion of this presentation or accompanying handouts may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author.