Pilot study to investigate the impact of a clinical librarian service on the decision making of resident hospital doctors and the quality of information they provide to their patients

Abstract

The level and type of information required by resident doctors to ensure adequate decision making is not known. The literature suggests that many questions arising in clinical practice go unanswered, chiefly due to lack of time. This dissertation reports on a pilot clinical librarian service tailored to resident doctors and assesses the impact it made on their decision making and confidence. Twelve questions were submitted from eight participants. Of these questions, changes were seen in the following specific areas of practice: advice given to patients (50%), choice of drugs (25%), requests for additional investigations (16%), and diagnoses (8%). Improved confidence was seen in diagnoses (50%), choice of treatments (25%), and when talking with patients (33%). However, in other areas of practice a decrease was seen: requests for investigations (25%) and prescribing of drugs (16%). Despite a low response rate, this pilot showed a clinical librarian service is feasible for resident doctors and demonstrated a positive impact on their clinical practice.