Changes to health library services from 3rd August

We are pleased to say that from Monday 3rd August we will be open and staffed for an additional hour until 4pm each day Monday to Friday. We hope to have news of out of hours opening soon and will let you know as soon as we can.

Further services will also be available at the Health Library Royal Stoke please see their webpages for the latest information.

Book reservations

When the UHNM health libraries are fully functioning you can request books online using your library account. This service is not available at the moment as the Keele campus library is closed and we share some of our systems. However, don't despair! you can still request a book:

1. Simply check the library catalogue using Library Search to check your book is available from either of the Health Libraries at County or Royal Stoke
2. Send an email to the library (library@uhnm.nhs.uk) with the details of the book or books you want (titles, authors and any other important information such as edition) 
3. Add your own telephone contact details.
4. Specify which location you would like to collect them from (Health Library at County or Royal Stoke). 

We will then get them ready for you and give you a ring to arrange a time when you can collect them.

Library Facilities

Books, literature searches and access to electronic resources are only a part of the service your health library provides. The library is also a physical space where you can study or get work done away from a noisy or overcrowded office or a busy home.  It is also a good "time out" zone, take advantage of the peace and tranquility to de-stress and chill and refocus your mind.

Here's what you will find in the Health Library at County:

         •NHS Networked PCs

•Books

•Study Space

•External WiFi

•Laptops/space to use your own devices

•Printing

•Photocopying/scanning

•Stationery to purchase

•Laminating

•Vending machines

         •Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff

Library staff are gradually getting back to normal having been working from home during lockdown. Current staffed opening hours are 10-3pm and this will be increasing to 10-4pm from August. We are still working remotely outside of these hours and can be contacted using the library email library@uhnm.nhs.uk.

Keep an eye on our social media accounts for further changes to our hours and we'll let you know when our 24/7 access is reinstated.

Literature searching

Literature searching  (or evidence searching as it is sometimes known) is a service that can be provided by NHS librarians.

What is it?  If you have a question relating to your practice, whether clinical or non-clinical, library professionals can perform a search and find relevant evidence-based papers published in reputable journals that will help you find the answer. This will ensure that any decisions you make, procedures you and your colleagues perform, or information you provide to patients is always evidence based.

Once a qualified librarian has carried out a search you will be sent a list of results containing the abstracts (summaries) of relevant articles. Many will have hyperlinks meaning that you can click through and read the full-text of the article right away if it sounds useful. 

If there is no hyperlink it means the library may not subscribe to that particular journal or perhaps has it in print only.  You can still get hold of the text if you want it by filling out an article request form and the library will endeavor to source a copy for you, such as from another NHS library or perhaps from the British Library. If we have to do this there may be a small charge but we will always tell you in advance if there are going to be costs involved.

What are the advantages of asking the library for a search? Library staff can save you time - we are used to carrying out searches and will most likely be quicker. We also have professional knowledge and  know the relevant databases to search that will produce the best results.

How do I request a search? You can request a search by completing our on line request form for either a clinical question or non-clinical question or by popping in to the library and filling out a form. To get the best results, particularly for more complex questions, it is often good to discuss your requirements with a librarian over the phone or face to face and then we have a full understanding of your search requirements.

Who can ask for a search? Anyone who works at UHNM can ask for a search and library staff both at County and the Royal Stoke can do this for you. Staff working in partner organisations may also be eligible to have literature searches carried out by our outreach team. If you are a student we are not able to carry out searches related to your studies. However we can assist you with search skills and teaching you how to form a search strategy so you can carry out a search yourself. Read about training options here: https://www.keele.ac.uk/healthlibrary/training/

Recent feedback on our searches:

"Elizabeth's help with carrying out these literature searches has been absolutely invaluable and will ultimately provide evidence to significantly influence patient pathway and the improve the service we provide for our patients".

"The range of literature searches carried out will provide the basis for educational, service and publication to benefit UHNM and further afield".

 

BMJ Best Practice

BMJ Best Practice is a clinical decision support tool currently available across the NHS in England and is available on desk top PCs and as an app on mobile technologies. The resource consists of a multi-award winning app and website providing evidence-based answers to clinical questions, as well as the latest research, and guidelines .Evidence summaries include step by step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention. Users can also access: 

• patient information, 
• procedural videos, 
• medical calculators, 
• drug information  
• CME/CPD certificates.

Steps to access BMJ Best Practice

1. Visit bestpractice.bmj.com and click ‘Log in’. 
2. You will be presented with an ‘Access through your institution’ button. 
3. When selected, you will be asked to search for your institution. Please type and search for ‘NHS in England’. 
4. Sign in using your OpenAthens username and password. (Sign up for OpenAthens here https://www.openathens.net/nhs_users.php if not already registered)
5. Now create your personal account. This will allow you to sign in directly using these details. Your personal account also allows you to log in to the app and to track your CPD/CME activity and download certificates.

Visit making the most of your access to BMJ Best Practice and scroll down for guidance, training webinars and video clips on getting full use out of the support tool.

Health Information Week 6-12 July 2020

This week is Health Information Week. Health Information Week is an annual national, multi-sector campaign to promote high quality information for patients and the public. High quality health information can have a huge impact on people’s ability to stay healthy and manage illnesses effectively, giving them a better quality of life.

Take a look at our leaflet:

Searching for good quality health information on the internet which is available on the Trust intranet under patient information or can be downloaded via the link on the library webpages here:  https://www.keele.ac.uk/healthlibrary/find/subjectlinks/patientinformation/

To find Coronavirus information for patients and the public  from trusted sources, including information in Easy Read and other accessible formats, see the resources compiled by HEE’s national Library and Knowledge Services team:

https://library.nhs.uk/coronavirus-resources/

There is also good myth-busting information on Covid-19 here:

https://fullfact.org/health/coronavirus/#online and https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/reality_check for anyone anxious about what they are reading and hearing.

More infomation and ideas about health information can be found all week on twitter using the hashtag #HIW2020