Earlier this week, the NY Times reported that the recently-passed economic stimulus bill will, “for the first time, provide substantial amounts of money for the federal government to compare the effectiveness of different treatments for the same illness.”
The article reflects concerns that the inclusions of issues of cost vs. effectiveness could lead to rationing of healthcare, or that it could “put the government in the middle of the doctor-patient relationship,” but also mentions similar initiatives that have been in place in Great Britain, France and other countries for more than a decade.
The Health Sciences Libraries Research Guides include two lists of websites recommended for learning more about evidence-based practice, and specialized tools for finding evidence-based practice information such as the systematic reviews mentioned in the article. Explore:
Evidence-based Medicine, and
Nursing: Evidence-based Practice
Two additional computers have been added to the reference area at the Hahnemann Library to help with the demand during busy periods. The computers in the reference area have also been updated to add Office 2007 applications including Word, PowerPoint and Excel. The 2003 version of these and other popular Office applications will continue to be available as well.
P.S. We didn’t take the printer away! You’ll now find it directly across from the Circulation Desk, near the New Book shelves.
And ready to Chat with you!
We’ve upgraded our Chat/IM reference service — the new “floating” chat box will let you move around our website, but still stay connected to us. Give it a try! Just look for the “HealthSciRef in Online” graphic on our web pages (if we’re offline, you’ll connect to our email reference form).
Reference help is also available via IM (AIM, GoogleTalk and Yahoo) — put “HealthSciRef” on your buddy list and you’ll always know when we’re online.
Our Chat/IM reference service is online Monday through Thursday 9 am to 9 pm, and Fridays 9 am to 5 pm.
This week the Josiah Macy Foundation issued a new report, “Revisiting the Medical School Educational Mission at a Time of Great Expansion”
The report cites the current medical school expansion as an “unparalleled opportunity” to examine existing medical school curricula and explore innovative ways to improve the education of the next generation of physicians. Among the report’s recommendations: make increasing diversity a top priority, find ways to reduce the burden of medical school debt, reexamine the medical school admissions process, ensure that senior academic medicine leadership embrace and champion the change agenda, shift education of students to ambulatory sites where most care is provided, and train future physicians to be skillful in preventative as well as curative medicine.
Press release on the report (pdf, 113k)
Chairman’s Summary (pdf, 136k)
