keep up to date- public health

Keeping Up to DateAllison Bell

Gerstein Science LibraryApril 7, 2011

Learning Objectives• Learn to create and maintain a personal

program to keep up to date and enhance professional competence

• Look at options and tools for keeping up to date

• Discuss methods to evaluate information sources

Practical methods for LLL

Good current awareness programs are:

• Efficient, preferably AUTOMATED “Set it and forget it”

• Focused on your highest priorities• Manageable (you can make time to

read what arrives)

Develop a Current Awareness Program

1. Set Goals2. Choose Activities3. Evaluate Success4. Re-tool if necessary

First: Set Goals• What news do I need to hear to do my job

properly?

• What news do I need to hear to keep up to date with my professional development?

• Identify knowledge gaps

• Passionate interests

Think of some current awareness goals for

yourself. What are they?

Second: Develop Activities

• Browser ‘Favourites’ or Bookmarks

• RSS

• Email Alerts

• TOC Alerts

Turn Each Goal into Activity

Example: • GOAL: Read everything new that comes

out about the Gardasil vaccine

• ACTIVITY: Set up an automated search or RSS feed in Pubmed for any new articles on the Gardasil/HPV vaccine

Key to Success:Make time in your schedule!

Third: Evaluate Effectiveness

• Too much? Too little? Bad/no results?

• Missing anything?

• Adjust, then try again

Intro to RSS

http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

RSS: Feed Readers

• Google Reader

RSS: Feed Readers• Bloglines

RSS: Others…

• IE or Outlook • Awasu • FeedReader • NewsGator FeedDemon

Choose one that you find easy to use, easy to remember

Add RSS Feeds

Grey Lit/Gov Docs• Look for RSS symbol on Government

websites…

CDC Emergency Updates

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/coca/registry.asp

Feeds for Blogs

Twitter

• @CochraneCollab

• @CDCemergency

• @CDCgov

• @gersteinlibrary

Automated Searches

• Perform search• Look for ‘Save Search’ button

Keep Current Using Pubmed

• RSS or Automated Searches• Clinical Queries (for evidence based

results)• Regular Pubmed search (for all

results)

Automated Searches Using Clinical Queries

Create RSS feed or Save Search

Saved Pubmed Search

Name it something meaningful

Email Alerts: Pubmed

Change the:

•frequency, •day of the week•format of delivery

to suit your preferences.

Your email address here…

Why set up RSS readers?

Maintain anonymityThey have your email address!

1-click “mark as read” = never see them again

Have to delete unwanted emails

Leave your email for real people

Clogs your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click

Unsubscribe requests may be ignored/delayed

RSSEmail

PubGet

http://www.pubget.com

RSS: PubGet

Email Alerts: Evidence Updates

http://plus.mcmaster.ca/EvidenceUpdates/

Email Alerts: Evidence Updates

Email Alert Example

TOC alerts

• Can be via email or RSS depending on the journal.

• You do not need to subscribe to the journal

“Each feed lists the contents of the latest issue, with article summaries”

TOCs through RSS

New Articles through Email

TicTOCS

http://www.tictocs.ac.uk/

Keeping Current: Where to Start?

• Canadian Journal of Public Health

• American Journal of Epidemiology

• American Journal of Public Health

• Health Affairs

• Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP)

More titles in the Public Health Research Guide:

http://guides.library.utoronto.ca/publichealth

Be Picky when Picking Sources

Pick professional sources for….

• Reliability (both content AND schedule)

• Can it deliver in a set-and-forget mode?

• Relevance to your learning GOALS

What about your clients?

Some considerations:

• Pick patient information sources for…

–Quality (reflect latest/best knowledge)

–Readability (consider levels, language)

–Usability/learning styles (Interactive? Print?)

Critical Evaluation of Web Sources

• More advertising= be more wary!–Pop ups? ‘Scam’ Ads?

• Statements of responsibility, credentials

• Quality of content, interface

• How current?

• Personal information collected/used?

Free Consumer Health Sources

• http://medlineplus.gov/

• Toronto Public Library Health Information: http://chis.wikidot.com/

Questions?

Contact Info

Allison.bell@utoronto.caAsk.gerstein@utoronto.ca

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/gerstein