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Books & Bytes

Volume 8, Number 2    November 1995

Books & Bytes is produced by the HSLIC Library Staff for Health Sciences Center personnel. Copyright University of Washington.

Table of Contents

  1. Problem-Based Learning
  2. HSLIC Has Been a "Virtual Teacher"
  3. New Classes Winter Quarter!
  4. Bioinformatics: From Library to Lab
  5. Problem-Based Learning in Action
  6. Social Work Librarian Transition
  7. Reaching Out - The Liaison Program
  8. Reaching Into the Social Work Classroom
  9. WEB DXplain
  10. NIH Funding Information on the Web
  11. Web Access Without Netscape
  12. Serial Title Changes
  13. Recent Gifts
Contributors to this issue: Philip Arny, Christine Beahler, Diana Hall, Terry Ann Jankowski, Debbie Ketchell, Lisa Oberg, Carolyn Weaver, Stuart Yarfitz.

Problem-Based Learning for the Health Sciences

Problem-based learning and evidence-based health care are increasingly affecting the delivery of health care and changing the role of the library in the Health Sciences educational process.

Evidence-based medicine is the emerging paradigm for health care practice. In the past a practitioner would evaluate a clinical problem based upon his understanding of physiology, pathology, disease mechanisms, pharmacology, etc., and then use person al experience to diagnose and treat the patient. Under the new evidence-based health care model, practitioners apply personal information-seeking skills as well as their knowledge of physiology and pathology to locate and evaluate clinical studies upon which to base patient care.

To practice evidence-based health care, health professionals must develop the skills necessary to locate and evaluate scientific literature. Part of the Library's mission is to provide the training that will help its clientele locate, access, evaluate , and manage information. HSLIC offers classes to achieve this goal through the Information Management Education (IME) program; a departmental liaison program; and printed and electronic versions of user information guides (/hsl/).

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a technique used to structure the learning process. Learning is student-centered, as students identify the learning objectives in each case and collect information to solve the problem. Several instructors in the health sciences are using this approach to develop problem-solving skills which will enhance clinical judgment. Librarians are frequently asked to teach the information navigation, retrieval, and management skills needed by students, as illustrated by the examples in this issue of Books & Bytes.

Educators have found that acquisition and use of information management skills is critical to success both in PBL and in clinical practice. A key element for success in incorporating PBL into the curriculum lies in assessing students' literacy skills and finding ways to improve them. Using a librarian as an advisor or instructor for information retrieval and management leads to improved skills on the part of the students. The course instructor serves as a role model by using information experts to in crease his or her own knowledge in a field. Why not call an information specialist today? To integrate such experiences into your classes, please contact the library liaison for your department (see the current liaison list at /hsl/liaisons/) or send an email message to hsl at u.washington.edu.

1 Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.  Evidence-based   
  medicine; a new approach to teaching the practice of
  medicine.  JAMA, 4 Nov 1992; 268(17):2420-5.

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HSLIC has been a "virtual teacher" for . . .

. . . a student on a clinical clerkship in Alaska who contacted his library liaison by email late on Wednesday before Thanksgiving to insure he could use his time effectively to gather information over the weekend for a case presentation the following Monday. The liaison ran a MEDLINE search and sent him the best strategy by return email, along with a list of the most relevant references, notation on availability, and recommendations of other onsite resources.

. . . a Geriatrics fellow, emailing from Washington, D.C., where he was attending a health policy practicum, asking where and how to search for information to counteract a proposal to cut Geriatric Training Fellowships. A HSLIC librarian ran a search on the Health Plan database and sent him the results by email, along with information about how to make use of the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda.

. . . a graduate student looking for more information about dementia in geriatric patients than was locally available. The librarian did a keyword search on the Web, located about two dozen national and international sites which are doing research in this area, filtered the retrieval, and created a personalized Web page with links to relevant sites which was emailed back to the student.

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New Classes Winter Quarter!

Sorting Out Your Table of Contents Options

Keeping up with the literature in a field is becoming increasingly difficult as the number of new journals proliferates. This class is designed to help Health Sciences faculty, staff and students learn about the different current awareness options, including Current Contents on CD-ROM, Carl UnCover/REVEAL and various Internet/Web sites.

Introduction to HTML

This class will familiarize attendees with basic skills for using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to create Web pages; introduce users to Weber, the UW Web server; and provide pointers to books and Web sites for more information. As a prerequisite, experience with a Web browser such as Netscape or Lynx is recommended.

See the Information Management Education calendar for dates, location, and registration information for these classes.

New Bioinformatics Courses

Stuart Yarfitz, Ph.D., HSLIC Bioinformatics Consultant, and Tim Rose, Ph.D., Pathobiology, are teaching Bioinformatics and Gene Sequence Analysis (PABIO 536), a new UW graduate level course. The course will cover the accumulation, analysis, and retrieval of biological sequence information within the context of computer-based informatics, the Internet, and worldwide databases. Topics will include biological, biochemical, and evolutionary criteria for understanding the relevance of biological sequence information, database searching, genome projects, and modeling of protein structures. Computer software packages, search algorithms, and Internet resources will be discussed. Prerequisites: Background in biochemistry and molecular biology, per mission of instructor. For more information, contact Stuart (616-4626, stuy@u.washington.edu) or Tim (616-2084, trose@u.washington.edu).

Two hands-on classes for molecular biologists will also be offered by the Library starting in January 1996. Molecular Biology Database Searching and Netsurfing for Biologists will each be taught once a month in the Microlab. See the Information Management Education schedule for details, or email hsl at u.washington.edu.

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Bioinformatics: From Library to Lab

Stuart Yarfitz, Ph.D., recently joined the HSLIC staff as Bioinformatics Consultant. He comes to this position with 15 years of research experience in molecular biology and biochemistry, and ongoing interests in computers and information systems. Stuart's role within the Library is to identify the information needs of biological researchers, to develop programs and services to better meet those needs, and to facilitate access to biological information resources in general. His specialties include nucleic acid and protein sequence database searching, sequence manipulation, primer design, protein structure analysis, and multiple sequence alignment. He provides consultation services for molecular biology database searching and sequence analysis, and can be reached by phone at 616-4626 or by email to stuy@u.washington.edu.

Visit Stuart's liaison site (/basic_sciences/molbio/index.html) for links to University of Washington and Internet resources on molecular biology. He is currently evaluating different systems and programs for DNA and protein sequence database searching and analysis, and will be publishing the results of these evaluations and recommendations on his liaison page.

The Library will be purchasing commercial sequence analysis packages for Mac and Windows computers, which will soon be available in the Microlab.

We are grateful to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which provided funding to the UW School of Medicine for the establishment of this Library program.

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Problem-Based Learning in Action

Pharm 309: Drug Information Sources

Nelda Murri, Pharm.D., requires first-year pharmacy students to prepare a written "drug information consult" for a question of interest. Students are provided with information on possible information resources as well as the format for their consultation. The choice of topic is left to the student. To successfully complete the assignment, students must not only write well but must also include an assessment of the literature and give a treatment recommendation. Two lectures are given by Terry Ann Jankowski, librarian liaison to the School of Pharmacy. Students receive a tour of the library with emphasis on the location of key drug information resources and a quick demonstration of various drug databases. The second session includes a MEDLINE demonstration with hands-on exploration of the database. The emphasis in this session is on searching techniques rather than database content. As students work on their own, they are encouraged to ask for assistance at the Information Desk, where staff will work with them to improve information seeking skills rather than give them answers to their questions.

DHyg 465: Scientific and Theoretical Basis of Dental Hygiene Practice

Norma Wells, RDH, MPH, designed Dental Hygiene 465 to "increase students' understanding of the theoretical foundation of dental hygiene practice while linking effective oral and written communication skills to critical thinking and problem-solving skill development." Course objectives include expectations that "students share evidence (or lack of evidence) that sustains or counters use of dental hygiene methods in care and management of oral health problems; improve their capability to search and retrieve scientific literature; use electronic mail for communication; defend their clinical judgments with scientific evidence; and improve their English writing skills." The class syllabus describes the computing and information resources available at HSLIC and encourages students to get connected from home. Terry Jankowski, as Dentistry liaison, leads three 90-minute sessions in the library's computer classroom. Topics include the basics of PINE, UWIN, and MEDLINE searching. Since students are at several different levels of computer expertise, it is critical to provide sufficient hands-on time in an environment which encourages questions. In addition to scheduled appointments, Terry has designated office hours during which DHYG 465 students can drop in and receive on-the-spot assistance.

DPHS 510: Social and Historical Perspectives in Dentistry

From the introductory material to DPHS 510 written by Dr. Peter Milgrom, it is clear that the School of Dentistry is embracing the evidence-based health care paradigm. "The emphasis in this class is not merely factual knowledge. While the skills labs , problem solving exercises, and the lectures will provide lots of traditional material (particularly about the health services system, and historical and ethical problems in health care delivery), the primary emphasis in this course will be on the acquisition of process skills. The goal is to help the student become an independent learner. The faculty believe that this skill is fundamental to becoming a skilled clinician and essential if every graduate from the School of Dentistry is to be a continuing learner throughout his/her professional career."

After an introductory lecture, Dentistry liaison Terry Jankowski elicits from the class definitions of types of information (primary vs. secondary and tertiary) and identifies criteria by which to judge information. Two other sessions (one prior to receiving a clinical problem and one after) provide demonstrations and hands on searching practice. Follow-up assistance from Information Desk staff guides the students in asking questions about the type of information needed rather than providing an answer. Librarians also contribute exam questions to measure the students' success in acquiring information management skills.

Multimedia Anatomy instruction

The Digital Anatomist materials, developed at UW, provide primary instructional material for several courses, including Dr. Cornelius Rosse's Human Biology 511, Gross Anatomy and Embryology, which uses the Interactive Brain Atlas, and the recently released Thoracic Viscera. These packages, available in slightly different forms via the Web (http://www1.biostr.washington.edu/DigitalAnatomist.html), CD-ROM, an d videodisc, offer electronic environments for exploring anatomical images and structures. Three dimensional rotations, showing relative size and location of the structures, are provided in animated segments. Several other packages dealing with embryos and development are also available. During Winter Quarter, the Interactive Brain Atlas is used extensively by John Sundsten's students in Biological Structure 431: Introduction to Neuroanatomy. These programs supplement traditional lectures and texts, offering new routes to learning.

Nursing 409: Partnerships for Community Health

Teaching Learning Center computer resources play a major curricular role in Prof. Rebecca Kang's Community Health course. Assisted by Government Publication librarians, students use U.S. Census data to study social demographics, patterns, and trends. Local health statistics are explored via databases and software from the King County Department of Public Health. With the increasing emphasis on regional and national statistics in health care planning, tools such as these are critical for many programs in the health sciences.

Independent Study in Medical Science (ISMS)

Twice last year the Department of Family Medicine offered 10 students a hands-on working session exploring the literature on a proposed ISMS topic. Topics ranged from clinical to social: coloscopy, HIV, acupuncture, prenatal care in urban studies, an d changing physician behavior. Debbie Ketchell and Jean Shipman, Family Medicine liaisons, developed potential resource lists and searching strategies to provide each student with a personalized approach to the problem-solving process. Faculty were encouraged to arrange group sessions or refer individual students to their departmental liaisons for further assistance.

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Social Work Librarian Transition

We are pleased to announce that Angela Lee will assume the position of Head, Social Work Library on December 11. Angela comes to HSLIC from the Washington State University Libraries, where she was a reference/collection development librarian. Bothher M.L.S. and Master of Social Work degrees are from the University of Hawaii.

Christine Beahler, Acting Head, Social Work Library, will be returning to her regular assignment as Health Information for You (HIFY) librarian. During the last eight months, Chris not only kept the Social Work Library operational but also became actively involved with faculty and students. Thank you, Chris!

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Reaching Out - The Liaison Program

Each HSLIC librarian serves as a liaison to selected Health Sciences departments, helping faculty, staff, and students navigate library services, from the mundane ("How do I find out if you own this journal?") to the esoteric ("I need help searching the online genetics databanks.") Liaisons can explain library policies, schedule individual or group instruction, and consult with clinicians, researchers, and students on a wide range of subjects. Your liaison can provide assistance with:

See HSLIC Factsheet #6 (/hsl/liaisons) for the name, phone number, and email address of your departmental liaison. In HealthLinks, follow the path The Library -> Our Publications -> Factsheets and Guides.

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Reaching Into the Social Work Classroom

Teaching the navigation and use of information resources is a major component of the liaison work done by Chris Beahler, librarian liaison to the School of Social Work. Classes offered this fall included basic UWIN courses, "Searching the Sociofile and Social Work Abstracts Databases," and "Social Work Resources on the Internet," which were taught jointly by Chris and the School's Computing Lab staff. UWIN classes focused primarily on literature searches in psycinfo.

The Internet classes included sample searches using Lycos and WebCrawler; an introduction to the School of Social Work Home page; and various web sites in the areas of AIDS, government resources, multicultural resources, addictions, domestic violence, homelessness, and international development.

Chris also works with Social Work faculty to provide research suggestions and examples for class syllabi in Human Behavior and Social Environment, among other courses. Information for a Social Policy class emphasized federal and state Internet sites, including the Federal Web Locator (http://www.infoctr.edu/fwl/), which provides links to federal legislative, judicial and executive sites, as well as locations such as the Government Information Locator Service; the National Academy of Sciences; the National Institute for Literacy; and the Institute for Better Education Through Resource Technology. Access Washington (http://access.wa.gov) provides access to state resources on Social and Health Services, Employment, and Education.

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WEB DXplain

DXplain, a computer program developed by the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), under the leadership of Dr. Octo Barnett, is designed to provide quick and easy access to a large database of diagnostic signs and symptoms. The system reminds the user of disorders which might, in part, explain a set of common symptoms, including some rare diseases that might otherwise not be considered. DXplain now has a new Web front-end which should make it easier to use, allowing the user to move quickly and more directly to relevant information. UW is now offering a three-month trial period, ending January 31, 1996, to test the new Web version.

Links to both the telnet and the Web versions of DXplain are available on HealthLinks on the Clinical page (/clinical). Each system has a password which is displayed for UW faculty, staff and students on that page. You may also telnet directly to the plain text version from any uniform access shell prompt. You will be asked to provide your email address when using the system, since MGH is tracking usage during the trial period. System developers are anxious for feedback, and a comment option is on the first page.

A sample view of WEB DXplain is shown below.

Click here for examples of a Dxplain search: Screen 1, Screen 2, Screen 3, Screen 4

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NIH Funding Information on the Web

Timely information on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunities and procedures is available from NIH officials, Internet sites, and printed publications. The Research Funding Service (RFS), a partnership of the Health Sciences Libraries and the School of Medicine's Office of Scientific Affairs, can help Health Sciences faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars use the various avenues for understanding NIH funding mechanisms, programs, and processes.

On-campus advice on grantsmanship issues will be available from an NIH official in December, when Robert A. Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), presents a workshop on "How to Get Money from NIH." This session, hosted by RFS, is scheduled on Monday, December 4, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in room 316, South Campus Center.

The NIH Home Page offers an increasing array of useful information for grant applicants and researchers. Go to http://www.nih.gov/ and select Grants and Contracts. NIH Peer Review Notes, a recent addition to this site, is a newsletter published by the NIH Division of Research Grants which covers grant review policies and procedures. Recent articles covered streamlined review procedures; fellowship review changes; collaboration with small business; and statistics on grant applications. Other important resources on the NIH Home Page include the weekly NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts; and CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects), which include abstracts of Public Health Service-funded research and rosters of Study Section members. Another choice, Institutes and Centers, provides links to information resources such as the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Fogarty International Center, the National Center for Research Resources, and the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences and of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Enhanced searching of the contents of the NIH Guide and CRISP is now available through the Community of Science (COS) (http://www.cos.com/). COS, formerly known as Best North America, offers Web-formatted access to the Federal Register, Commerce Business Daily, and a variety of other publications.

UW researchers may wish to request copies of the seven grantsmanship guides published by RFS. The four-page "Answers to Common Questions about the National Institutes of Health" was recently updated to include advice from NIH scientific program officers and descriptions of the updated Career Development (K series) awards for research and research training in the clinical and basic biomedical and behavioral sciences.

The RFS office, located in HSLIC room T-311, is open 1 - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 685-8036, send email to rfs@u.washington.edu, or write to RFS at campus Box 356340. Click here for a sample of the Community of Science Web Server.

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Web Access Without Netscape

It is not necessary to junk your trusty 286 PC or Mac Plus just to access Web resources. If your current computer, whatever its vintage, can access UWIN, you have Web access. From the main UWIN menu, select Internet Resources -> Lynx: WorldWide Web Gateway. Lynx is a character-based Web browser that provides access to all of the textual material on the Web. You won't get sound or pictures but can access all other content.

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Serial Title Changes, September - October 1995

Newly added titles:

Title changes:

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Recent Gifts

Acknowledgment and appreciation are extended to the following individuals and departments who have recently made contributions to the HSLIC collections:

  • Ms. Carolyn Aamot;
  • Dr. Earl P. Benditt;
  • Dr. Norman E. Breslow;
  • Ms. Barbara J. Bridges;
  • Dr. James Cam;
  • Dr. Margaret F. Dimond;
  • Dr. Thomas R. Fritsche;
  • Dr. John P. Geyman;
  • Ms. Sherry Grenley;
  • Dr. Michael J. Guralnick;
  • Ms. Terry Ann Jankowski;
  • Dr. Margaret Kitchell;
  • Dr. Douglas S. Levine;
  • Prof. John F. Longress;
  • Prof. Diane L. Magyary;
  • Dr. Thomas H. Shepard;
  • Mr. James L. Simlcek;
  • Dr. James H. Takano;
  • Dr. Robert L. Van Citters;
  • Dr. Ralph J. Wedgwood;
  • and the UWMC Department of Pediatrics.

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