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Hospital clinicians’ information behaviour and attitudes towards the ‘Clinical Informationist’: an Irish survey
Article first published online: 13 OCT 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2010.00917.x
© 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2010 Health Libraries Group
Additional Information
How to Cite
Flynn, M. G. and McGuinness, C. (2011), Hospital clinicians’ information behaviour and attitudes towards the ‘Clinical Informationist’: an Irish survey. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 28: 23–32. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2010.00917.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 14 FEB 2011
- Article first published online: 13 OCT 2010
- Received 16 December 2009; Accepted 7 September 2010
Abstract
Background: Hospital clinicians are increasingly expected to practice evidence-based medicine (EBM) in order to minimize medical errors and ensure quality patient care, but experience obstacles to information-seeking. The introduction of a Clinical Informationist (CI) is explored as a possible solution.
Aims: This paper investigates the self-perceived information needs, behaviour and skill levels of clinicians in two Irish public hospitals. It also explores clinicians’ perceptions and attitudes to the introduction of a CI into their clinical teams.
Methods: A questionnaire survey approach was utilised for this study, with 22 clinicians in two hospitals. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics.
Results: Analysis showed that clinicians experience diverse information needs for patient care, and that barriers such as time constraints and insufficient access to resources hinder their information-seeking. Findings also showed that clinicians struggle to fit information-seeking into their working day, regularly seeking to answer patient-related queries outside of working hours. Attitudes towards the concept of a CI were predominantly positive.
Conclusion: This paper highlights the factors that characterise and limit hospital clinicians’ information-seeking, and suggests the CI as a potentially useful addition to the clinical team, to help them to resolve their information needs for patient care.