Himmelfarb Library Blog

Library Hours - Thanksgiving Weekend

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:21:00 -0500

Himmelfarb Library will modify its hours over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as listed below:

Wednesday, November 25 7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday, November 26 CLOSED
Friday, November 27 CLOSED
Saturday, November 28 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday, November 29 Open at 9:00 AM and regular (24/7) hours resume

Mobile Access: Point-of-Care Trials

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:29:00 -0500

Himmelfarb Library is currently offering trial access to two point-of-care information tools to the GWUMC community. Each of these tools, DynaMed and Epocrates Online Premium, has a mobile (PDA/Smartphone) component which faculty, residents, and students can test and assess in addition to the desktop access.

DynaMed

Institutional subscription includes download for residents, faculty, and students at no additional charge.
Compatible devices and download instructions.

Email mlblea@gwumc.edu to request serial number for installation.
Note: download the complete DynaMed rather than the version marked 'Trial'.

Epocrates Online Premium

Institutional subscription does not include mobile download but group discount may be available to users who wish to purchase Epocrates Essentials, if this product is selected for licensing by Himmelfarb Library.

Download available for 30-day trial.

Compatible devices
Download Instructions

Email mlblea@gwumc.edu to request license code for free 30-day trial.
Create Epocrates account then click to activate license code.

As with the desktop versions of DynaMed and Epocrates Online Premium, Himmelfarb Library invites you begin using the mobile counterparts in clinical care and let us know how well they work for you. We are particularly interested in hearing your feedback on content, evidence, and interface.

Please submit your feedback to Laura Abate at mlblea@gwumc.edu or 202-994-8570.

PubMed: Redesigned Interface

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:23:00 -0500

PubMed's interface has been redesigned and the new interface has been released. You can access the 'new' PubMed via Himmelfarb Library's link which also incorporates links to Himmelfarb Library's full-text holdings and Himmelfarb's custom clinical/EBM limits to help users assess their search results.

PubMed's redesigned interface is geared toward simplicity and was retooled with the goal of making PubMed easier to use. While PubMed's search algorithms and search processing, including MeSH term mapping, remain unchanged, the search interface and screens are quite different. Some highlights of PubMed's redesign include:

New header, search bar, and footer which are common to all PubMed pages.
Advanced Search allows you to view your search history, search by field (e.g. author, journal, etc.), and limit your search (e.g. by full-text availability, language, article type, etc.).
Links to related information are displayed along the right side of the search results screen including article titles containing your search terms; articles freely accessible on PubMed Central; related information from other NCBI databases; and your recent PubMed searches.
Links to Himmelfarb Library's full-text journal collection are displayed on the upper-right portion of the screen.
Each article includes an expandable area for publication types, MeSH terms, and substances which are hyperlinked for immediate searches or which can be used to build a more complex search strategy.

To coincide with the debut of PubMed's redesigned interface, Himmelfarb Library has integrated several new limits into PubMed to help you identify high-quality clinical information. These limits will display in the upper-right of the search results screen. The goal of these limits is to reduce your search time for high-quality evidence in order to allow you to maximize your time for reading and analyzing the available information. The new limits are:

Clinical Reviews/EBM - limits articles to systematic reviews, practice guidelines, and meta-analyses, written in English.
Clinical Trials - limits articles to controlled clinical trials, multicenter studies, and randomized controlled trials, written in English.
Reviews - limits to review articles, written in English.

Additional resources:

Health Care Fraud Challenges Both Public and Private Sectors

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:04:00 -0500

Health Care Fraud, a new analysis published by The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Health Policy, in collaboration with the National Academy for State Health Policy, finds that health care fraud poses a major challenge in both the private and public insurance sectors and recommends policies aimed at assuring uniform and transparent measurement and reporting of fraud across all forms of coverage.

"A critical problem under current policy is the absence of ongoing and reliable fraud estimates similar to those available in the case of public health insurers," said lead author Sara Rosenbaum, Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and Chair of the Department. "As a result, it is difficult to fashion consistent policies to address fraud, a critical component of health reform."

The report also finds that fraud information related to public programs is frequently confused with payment error data. "While payment errors represent a major area for program improvement," Rosenbaum notes, "it is essential to separate such errors from actual instances of fraud, since the two problems call for distinct corrective strategies."

This report is issued as Congress considers steps to strengthen the tools and resources available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute fraud, and as states focus increased attention on this problem.

In reviewing extensive data on health care fraud, the analysis points to evidence that fraud can emanate from the insurance industry itself. This finding is underscored by recent court decisions as well as by New York State's recent prosecution of multiple insurers for fraud in connection with provider claims payments as part of their administration of private insurance products and employee health benefit plans.

This report was funded with a Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Resources

Trial: Journal Watch

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:14:00 -0500

Himmelfarb Library is pleased to offer you the opportunity to survey a trial of Journal Watch. Journal Watch reviews over 180 scientific and medical journals to present important clinical research findings and insightful commentary.

The following specialties are available as a part of this trial: Aids Clinical Care; Cardiology; Dermatology; Emergency Medicine; Gastroenterology; Infectious Diseases; Neurology; Oncology and Hematology; Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine; Psychiatry; and Women's Health. Journal Watch has also made available an Audio Service, which features Expert Interviews; Clinical Conversations; and the specialty of General Medicine.

You can access Journal Watch content through the Himmelfarb Library Electronic Journals webpage. The trial period runs from now through November 31, 2009. If you have questions or comments, please contact Serials Librarian Steven Brown at mlbswb@gwumc.edu.

Bring your computer problems

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500

On Thursday November 12th, a representative from Student Technology Services will be in Himmelfarb Library from 3-5:00 pm to resolve your computer issues (laptops, wireless, etc.). Please stop by the Circulation Desk and ask for assistance!

PubMed Redesign

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:17:00 -0500

PubMed has been redesigned and a new interface will be released soon. Currently, you can preview the redesign to get a feel for the new interface and also see some customizations which Himmelfarb Library has added.

PubMed's redesigned interface is geared toward simplicity with the goal of making PubMed easier to use. PubMed's search algorithms and search processing, including MeSH term mapping, remain unchanged. Some highlights of PubMed's redesign include:

New header, search bar, and footer which are common to all PubMed pages.
Advanced Search allows you to view your search history, search by field (e.g. author, journal, etc.), and limit your search (e.g. by full-text availability, language, article type, etc.).
Links to related information are displayed along the right side of the search results screen including article titles containing your search terms; articles freely accessible on PubMed Central; related information from other NCBI databases; and your recent PubMed searches.

Himmelfarb Library has also integrated several new limits into PubMed to help you identify high-quality clinical information. These limits will display in the upper-right of the search results screen. The goal of these limits is to reduce your search time for high-quality evidence in order to allow you to maximize your time for reading and analyzing the available information. The new limits are:

Clinical Reviews/EBM - limits articles to systematic reviews, practice guidelines, and meta-analyses, written in English.
Clinical Trials - limits articles to controlled clinical trials, multicenter studies, and randomized controlled trials, written in English.
Reviews - this tab contains review articles, written in English.

For more information on PubMed's redesign, please consult the NLM Technical Bulletin or watch Webcast: 2009 PubMed® Redesign.

Point-of-Care Resource Trials

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:29:00 -0500

During the next six months, Himmelfarb Library invites GWUMC faculty, students, and staff to evaluate two point-of-care information tools.

DynaMed

Epocrates Online Premium

Each of these information tools contains both drug and disease information. We invite you to begin using these tools in clinical care and let us know how well they work for you. We are particularly interested in hearing your feedback on:

Content. Can you find the information that you need? Does the resource cover the topics that you need?
Evidence. Can you determine the strength or level of evidence? Can you locate citations/links to the original research or references?
Interface. Is the resource easy to navigate? Does the search work well for your topics? Can you navigate through the product easily?

Both resources are available from on-campus (including GW Hospital) and off-campus locations. From off-campus locations, you can login using either VPN/GWireless or ALADIN; for more information please consult Himmelfarb Library's off-campus access instructions.

As the trials progress, we will provide additional information on the resources and conduct focus groups to discuss each resource's advantages and disadvantages. If you have questions or comments, please contact Laura Abate at mlblea@gwumc.edu or 202-994-8570.

New Projection Screens in Himmelfarb!

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:15:00 -0500

Do you like to gather in small groups to work on projects using your laptop, but find it hard for everyone to see what is on the screen? Himmelfarb Library has just outfitted study rooms 304A-K on the 3rd floor with 42" wall-mounted LCD monitors that will project your laptop image for easier viewing by all.

Simply check out a VGA cable (for connecting your laptop to the monitor) and a remote control from the 3rd Floor Bloedorn Technology Center Help Desk and you can easily display your monitor's image to others in the room. If no one is available at the Help Desk, ask someone at the 1st Floor Circulation Desk to assist you.

Instructional Technology Summit Series

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:34:00 -0500

Himmelfarb Library and the Faculty Affairs Office are pleased to host a series of talks for GWUMC faculty on instructional and information technologies. This series is designed to introduce faculty to new technologies which are being used at GWUMC and engender discussion of best practices for the use of technology in instruction.

This weekly series will occur throughout the fall from 12-1 p.m. in Himmelfarb B103. Light refreshments will be available, and participants are encouraged to bring their lunch to the sessions.

Please mark your calendars!

Thu, Sep 3	Katherine Kennedy, PhD	Turning Point Clickers
Wed, Sep 9	Feroz Arastu	Laptop Security
Wed, Sep 16	Dante Verme, PhD, MS	ArcGIS
Tue, Sep 22	Frank Slaby, PhD	Animations
Tue, Sep 29	Ray Walsh, PhD	NetAnatomy
Tue, Oct 6	Barbara McGowan & Catherine Harris, MA	What makes a good poster?
Wed, Oct 14	Howie Southworth & John O'Hara	Blogs and Wikis in Blackboard
Wed, Oct 21	Cynthia Kahn, MILS, MPH	Scopus
Wed, Oct 28	Paul Levett, MSc	E-Resources Access & Multidatabase Searching
Thu, Nov 5	Tim McCaffrey, PhD	Genetics Databases
Wed, Nov 11	Elaine Sullo, MLS, MAEd	RefWorks
Thurs, Nov 19	Laura Abate, MSLS	Information Updates/RSS Feeds

Changing the Face of Medicine

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0500

The Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, in conjunction with the School of Medicine, invite you to see a traveling exhibition from the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine. The exhibit, Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America's Women Physicians, introduces some of the many extraordinary and fascinating women who have studied and practiced medicine in America. Women of all generations and diverse backgrounds are featured in this exhibition celebrating all of America's physicians.

An opening reception will be held on Thursday, October 1st, from 4:00-5:30 pm, in the Himmelfarb Library on the first floor. Refreshments will be served.

The exhibit will remain on display in the Library from September 28th through November 8th. Please contact Cynthia Kahn at 202-994-3683 or mlbcrk@gwumc.edu with any questions about the exhibit or opening reception.

Government Role in Health Care?

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:40:00 -0500

Is it the Federal Government's responsibility to provide health care for all Americans?

This widely debated question will be the topic of an upcoming health care debate at The George Washington University Medical Center.

Responding affirmatively to the topic will be Mandy Krauthamer, MD, executive director, Doctors for America, and Igor Volsky, health care researcher and blogger, Center for American Progress. Responding in the negative will be The Honorable Michael C. Burgess, MD, United States congressman from the 26th District in Texas, and David Gratzer, MD, senior fellow, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. The debate will be moderated by James L. Scott, MD, dean of GW's School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Title: "Is it the Federal Government's Responsibility to Provide Health Care for All Americans?"
Sponsors:
    The Benjamin Rush Society
    The Congressional Health Care Caucus
    The George Washington University Medical Center Student Council
Date: September 30, 2009
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ross Hall #101

The goal of the event is to encourage students and physicians to become more active in the nation's pressing health care issues. All Medical Center students, staff, faculty and members of the general public are welcome to attend. Please reserve your space at www.pacificresearch.org. For further information, contact Cindy Chin at cchin@pacificresearch.org or via (415) 955-6110.

Need a guide to research?

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:25:00 -0500

Overwhelmed by the number of library resources available? Interested in a customized set of resources for your program or a specific class? Let librarians help you design and information tool customized for your students' needs.

We realize that it is not always simple to sort out which databases, books, and journals are most relevant, so we would like to help you. Save time searching for appropriate books and journals by accessing all of them from one convenient location. We can even include handy search tools that will allow you to search a term across 40 databases or all of our electronic textbook collections.

We can also gather and link to all the important journals in your field (via Himmelfarb subscriptions) as well as provide an easy way for you to receive the tables of contents for each new issue as it is released.

The Reference Department is happy to work with you to develop a Research Guide containing books, journals, websites, and software programs gathered from our collection that match the needs of your students.

Several Research Guide have already been developed and are available on the Himmelfarb Library website. For more information contact Alexandra Gomes at (202) 994-1825 or mlbawg@gwumc.edu.

User Survey

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:55:00 -0500

Himmelfarb Library will be conducting a brief entry survey of its users at selected one-hour time frames during the remainder of September and early October.

Individuals entering the library will be stopped briefly to identify their user category (1st year, 2nd year, faculty, etc) and reason for library visit (research, computer use, studying, etc.) by staff members stationed at the Library's Access Monitor Desk. There will be nothing to fill out, with only a brief responses to the two questions requested.

We appreciate your willingness to take a few seconds to help us better understand who our frequent users are and the purpose the library serves for those users. We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation!

PCL Informatics

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:52:00 -0500

Presentation
In-Class Exercise You may complete this assignment in pairs; submit it to library@gwumc.edu
Take-Home Exercise - You should complete this assignment individually; submit it to your PCL Librarian