1. Introduction To Electronic Resources Accessing Sources Of Evidence For Practice Introduction To Electronic Resources Karen Smith Department of Health Sciences University of York

2. Introduction To Electronic Resources Introduction to Electronic Resources Objectives  Have an overview of information sources and their applications  Know how to access subject-related web-based resources  Know how to access electronic journals

3. Introduction To Electronic Resources Objectives Ctd  Have practical experience of using relevant key sources such as National Electronic Library for Health, Department of Health website etc.  Know how to evaluate printed and electronic information and identify quality resources

4. Introduction To Electronic Resources Why Use Electronic Resources?  Saves time by being searchable  Easy access from anywhere e.g. work, home, holiday  Up to date information –printed information takes time to produce  Better researched essay references  They are free – the University pays a subscription on your behalf!

5. Introduction To Electronic Resources Electronic Journals and Newspapers  Connections to a wide range of full text electronic journals and newspapers  Some available only electronically  Some available in print  Some available in both

6. Introduction To Electronic Resources Electronic Journals and Newspapers  There is access to over 10,000 titles  From home – may require ATHENS password  From most databases e.g. Cinahl  From the Library Catalogue  From the website - see this for further information http://www.york.ac.uk/library/ejournal/

7. Introduction To Electronic Resources Key Sites – Subject Related  National Library for Health (NLH) - the NHS digital library for staff, patients and the public http://www.library.nhs.uk/  Hitting the Headlines – for the clinician and patient to quickly identify the reliability of news stories and the research evidence on which they are based http://www.nelh.nhs.uk / http://www.nelh.nhs.uk /

8. Introduction To Electronic Resources Key Sites – Subject Related NLH Specialist Libraries  Cancer Cardiovascular Diseases Child Health Clinical Genetics Complementary and Alternative Medicine Diabetes Emergency Care ENT and Audiology Cancer Cardiovascular Diseases Child Health Clinical Genetics Complementary and Alternative Medicine Diabetes Emergency Care ENT and Audiology etc.

9. Introduction To Electronic Resources Key Sites – Subject Related Guidance  Guidelines Finder Health Technology Assessment Database (CRD) NICE Guidance PRODIGY Knowledge Protocols & Care Pathways Guidelines Finder Health Technology Assessment Database (CRD) NICE Guidance PRODIGY Knowledge Protocols & Care Pathways

10. Introduction To Electronic Resources Key Sites – Subject Related Evidence  Bandolier Clinical Evidence Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews CRD Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin NHS Economic Evaluation Database NIHR HTA Programme Research Findings Register Bandolier Clinical Evidence Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews CRD Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin NHS Economic Evaluation Database NIHR HTA Programme Research Findings Register

11. Introduction To Electronic Resources NHS ATHENS  Most NHS resources are free  Provides access to additional databases and electronic journals  To create an NHS password from an NHS PC: https://www.athens.nhs.uk/region/

12. Introduction To Electronic Resources Key Sites – Subject Related  Department Of Health - health and social care policy, guidance and publications http://www.dh.gov.uk/  Department of Health Publications - full text of publications where available and a publications library http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/fs/en http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/fs/en

13. Introduction To Electronic Resources Key Sites - Organisational  Royal College of Nursing – access to public and members information  World Health Organization - the World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health  British Medical Association- open access public pages include ethics, science, policy, news, healthcare information Science Policy Library  News  Healthcare information  BMA jobs

14. Introduction To Electronic Resources Electronic Books  Available through the library catalogue  Electronic access to titles in high demand  Covers a range of subjects, education, history, health studies, sociology, literature

15. Introduction To Electronic Resources Why Evaluate Information Resources  Information found on the Internet can be unreliable  Information in books and journals can be unreliable  You need to evaluate all information you find – this will save you time

16. Introduction To Electronic Resources How To Evaluate Information Resources  Purpose: A summary or an in depth research?  Audience: Expert or the general public?  Authority: Is it a well known author, academic publisher or organisation or an opinion?

17. Introduction To Electronic Resources How To Evaluate Information Resources  Currency: Up to date?  Accuracy: Has it been checked by a reliable editor?  Reliability: Well respected author?

18. Introduction To Electronic Resources How To Evaluate Information Resources Ctd  Has it been peer reviewed i.e. reviewed by an expert in the field  E.g. Wikipedia – take great care when using…..  Use these tips to help you decide if the information you find is suitable

19. Introduction To Electronic Resources Evaluating Web Resources – Special Considerations  Not necessarily peer reviewed i.e. checked by an editor, publisher or librarian  Therefore judge carefully ……

20. Introduction To Electronic Resources Hitting The Headlines on NLH  http://www.library.nhs.uk/rss/newsA ndRssArticle.aspx?uri=http%3a%2f% 2fwww.library.nhs.uk%2fresources% 2f%3fid%3d206086 http://www.library.nhs.uk/rss/newsA ndRssArticle.aspx?uri=http%3a%2f% 2fwww.library.nhs.uk%2fresources% 2f%3fid%3d206086

21. Introduction To Electronic Resources Evaluating Web Resources – Special Considerations  Anyone can publish a web page  Are the authors named?  Are they regulated or can they publish anything?  Can you tell whether they have a good knowledge of the subject?

22. Introduction To Electronic Resources Who Owns The Information? Look at the URL to see where the information comes from:  UK Government.gov  Educational.edu.ac  Company.com.co  Non-profit.org

23. Introduction To Electronic Resources Which of these is more relevant?

24. Introduction To Electronic Resources Which of these is more relevant ?- the answer:  No.1 because it relates to the UK and is an official source (the Department for Trade and Industry). Therefore the facts are likely to be more reliable, than article 2 which is commentary from an internet site on a survey by a retail consultancy firm

25. Introduction To Electronic Resources A good example:  Look at this Web page for the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work [ http://europe.osha.eu.int/ ] http://europe.osha.eu.int/  What practical clues are there that might tell you Who, What Why and When?  Points to note about this page:  It's got a home page link from the "European Agency for Safety & Health at Work" box on each page  It's got a clearly marked site contents MENU  It's got a clearly marked contact link "Comments"  It's got clearly marked About and Help pages.  It's got a Frequently Asked Questions page  It's got a site search facility  [And, if you were to scroll down, you would find a Last Updated date and a Disclaimer]  By exploring these clues you should be able to tell a lot about this page - how current it is, what it's policy is and where it's coming from, what's on the site, how to get back to the main page, and who to contact should you have any concerns or queries about it. It would be nice if all sites were as clear as this one!

26. Introduction To Electronic Resources Also Look Out For: Up to date information:  Good sites tell you when they were last updated  How old is the information? How readable is it?  Can you tell what is propaganda or marketing?  Advertising, pop up boxes, distracting graphics

27. Introduction To Electronic Resources A good start:  Ask:  WHO?  WHAT?  WHY?  WHEN?

28. Introduction To Electronic Resources Also Look Out For: Ctd Is it objective?  It might look very authoritative but is there a hidden agenda i.e. patient information produced by a drug company

29. Introduction To Electronic Resources Example:

30. Introduction To Electronic Resources Quackwatch verdict: http://www.quackwatch.org/index.html  WholeHealthMD  Stephen Barrett, M.D.  WholeHealthMD is the Internet division of American WholeHealth, Inc., which offers "integrative medicine" services for consumers, practitioners, and health plans [1]. The WholeHealthMD Web site offers advice on "complementary and alternative therapies" from practitioners with a variety of backgrounds. The site includes news; advice for managing many conditions; a reference library on vitamins, supplements, foods, herbs, and drugs; a practitioner directory; and recipes for reducing fat, cholesterol and sodium in favorite dishes. As often occurs on sites where "alternatives" are concerned, product recommendations are conveniently linked to the site of a strategic partner" (Familymeds.com) that will sell them to you. But the advice is a mixture of sense and nonsense that only experts can sort out. WholeHealthMDAmerican WholeHealthFamilymeds.com  As for specifics (to name just a few), don't believe the advice that everyone should take a multivitamin; vitamins C and E are good for angina; chitosan will produce weight loss; pressing on the bones of the skull (craniosacral therapy) can "enhance the functioning of all the body's organs"; or that homeopathic remedies are good for anything.  The article on chelation therapy is especially bad and appears to me to have been deliberately written to mislead the reader by describing the views of advocates and critics as though they are equally valid. It states that chelation therapy is FDA-approved for treating heavy metal poisoning but fails to note that the product approved for this purpose differs from that of "chelation therapists" who claim to treat heart disease and other serious diseases. It states that the American College of Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) trains practitioners, but fails to reveal that the Federal Trade Commission charged ACAM with false advertising and obtained a cease-and-desist order baring it from advertising that chelation therapy is effective against heart disease. It states that "critics... note that most studies showing its effectiveness have been done by physicians with a financial interest in the therapy." The fact is, however, that no studies show effectiveness and the allegedly positive studies have been criticized for their poor design, not on the basis of who reported them [2].  The discussion of applied kinesiology (AK) is equally dishonest. AK is a pseudoscientific system of muscle-testing and therapy based on the notion that every organ dysfunction is accompanied by a specific muscle weakness, which enables diseases to be diagnosed through muscle-testing procedures. Its theories clash with what is known about the body and it has been debunked by several published studies [3]. But WholeHealthMD merely states that "Within the standards of conventional physicians, there has been no rigorous scientific testing that has shown applied kinesiology to be an effective diagnostic tool."  References  About the company. American WholeHealth Web site, accessed Oct 11, 2001. About the company  Green S. Chelation Therapy: Unproven Claims and Unsound Theories. Quackwatch, revised Sept 14, 2000.Chelation Therapy: Unproven Claims and Unsound Theories  Barrett S. Applied Kinesiology: Muscle-Testing for "Allergies" and "Nutrient Deficiencies." Quackwatch, revised Nov 15, 2000.Applied Kinesiology: Muscle-Testing for "Allergies" and "Nutrient Deficiencies."

31. Introduction To Electronic Resources The Workbook  Electronic journals  Key web resources  Evaluating information resources  Test your skills