Hot off the press- new books August – September 2008

The latest new books list is now available. Click here for a list of books added to the collection in August and September.

In the mixed-bag of titles you’ll find, Anatomy questions for the MRCS, Schmidek and Sweet’s Operative neurosurgical techniques, a book of tips on how to Make Meetings Matter, a classic two-volume text on Oral and maxillofacial trauma, a guide to Evidence-based rehabilitation and the latest edition of the popular Royal Marsden Hospital manual of clinical nursing procedures.

To access all these books, and more, search our library catalogue.

NHS Search 2.0 update

Since its launch the National Library for Health’s Search 2.0 system for searching healthcare databases such as Medline, CINAHL and EMBASE has added a number of new features to make advanced searching easier.

For best results use the Healthcare Database Advanced Search where these new features, outlined below, are available. To access this page from www.library.nhs.uk, login with your NHS Athens password, then click Healthcare Databases Advanced Search below your login details on the left.

Saved searches and alerts

When saving searches and alerts it is now possible to select a limited number of rows of your search strategy to save, rather the previous default to save the entire search history. The option to select and save all in your search is also available.

De-duplication of results

You can now de-duplicate the results from different database searches. If, for example, you have run similiar searches in Medline and Embase, select the sets you wish to de-duplicate, and click on the ‘Remove Duplicates’ option below the Search History panel. A new set will be created and you’ll be able to view the unique results.

View abstracts on the results page

You can now select the ‘Show Abstracts’ tick box to view all the abstracts in your set of results.

Clipboard

You can now save search results from different searches to a temporary ‘clipboard’ before saving, printing or emailing them all at the end of  search session. The clipboard icon appears below the search history, on the search screen.

Further improvements to Search 2.0 are expected at the end of this month, so watch this space for details.

For help with using Search 2.0 why not download our 3-page 10-step guide   or try our full guide to searching Search 2.0

NLH Refurbishment

On Tuesday 30th September the NLH will undergo a modest revamp to its look and feel to improve usability and clarity.

The main changes include:

-Redesign of the search resources box to make it more distinctive

-Addition of a medical dictionary search option in the search resources box

-The introduction of a navigational footer linking the user to different parts of the site

Here’s a  preview of what to expect:

National Library for Health Interface Refresh coming 30th September

123doc No Longer Available

Due to underuse the MRCP1&2 online training packages are no longer available via NHS Athens. If you are studying for the MRCP exams try Medical Masterclass instead.

Library Database web pages – revised and improved!

The Database pages on the Library’s website have been revised so that:

* Databases can be viewed by Specialty as well as the complete A – Z list
* A link to a database, when on-site in the Library, takes you straight to the database ie in most cases you do not need to log in

View these revised pages here.

Did you know…?

..that the library has a presence on the SGH intranet (at http://stginet Click on “L” for Library under Units and Departments or search for library) and WPCT’s Staff Room?

Well, now you know.

Database Discovery: BMJ Clinical Evidence

This is the first in a series of posts called ‘Database Discovery’ where we highlight lesser known healthcare databases. To kick off with we’ll look at BMJ Clinical Evidence.

What is it and how can it help me?

Clinical Evidence, produced by the BMJ Publishing Group provides a concise account of the current state of knowledge, ignorance, and uncertainty about the prevention and treatment of a wide range of clinical conditions based on thorough searches and appraisal of the literature. In other words, it contains a compendium of evidence on the effects of common clinical interventions, giving you rapid access to the bottom line data on the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.

What’s the topic coverage?

Clinical Evidence aims to cover common or important clinical conditions seen in primary and hospital care. To decide which conditions to cover, its producers review national data on consultation rates, morbidity, and mortality, and take advice from generalist clinicians and patient groups. To date over 250 conditions have been appraised, encompassing over 3,000 interventions.

How do I access it?
Access is Athens password protected via 3 routes:

1.Direct at http://www.clinicalevidence.com (Click on Logon in the top-right hand corner)

2.Click on the link to Clinical Evidence on the Library’s EBH databases page

3.Login to My Athens with your Athens password and select Clinical Evidence from the Other resources tab

On-site access is also available in the Library without using a password.

How can I search Clinical Evidence?
The database can be browsed or searched. To browse click on ‘Conditions’ in the horizontal menu bar to see a list of broad subjects, beneath which lie relevant reviews. To search, enter your condition or intervention in the search box on the top-right hand corner: more than one term will be automatically joined together with AND and you can search for a phrase by enclosing it in “speech marks”.

How can I get more help?
Try this User Guide or contact the library on library@sgul.ac.uk

Launch of the new Infections Specialist Library

Hot on the heels of the Commissioning SL launch, another Specialist Library on Infections has launched today.

What is it?

The Infections Specialist Library (ISL) provides convenient and comprehensive access to the highest quality evidence on the investigation, prevention, treatment and control of infectious diseases from a clinical perspective. This is intended to keep health professionals up to date with the burgeoning amount of infectious disease evidence that is emerging daily.

What does the library provide?
Resources in the library include:

•  
  • Reviews and Systematic reviews (e.g. Cochrane Library, CKS, DARE)
  • National guidelines (e.g. NICE, DH, SIGN)
  • International guidelines (if no suitable UK guidelines exist, e.g. WHO, CDC)
  • Examples of best practice (e.g. HPA)
  • Standard Operating Protocols (e.g. HPA)
  • Government health policies and standards (e.g. HPA, DH)
  • News and events

Find out more at http://www.library.nhs.uk/infections

 

Launch of the National Library for Health’s Commissioning Specialist Library

The pilot Commissioning Specialist Library (CSL) has gone live today.  The CSL is free, and aims to be a one-stop shop providing timely and efficient access to high quality information resources for all those involved in commissioning for health and wellbeing. It endeavours to include the best available evidence, examples of good practice, policy and data to support world class commissioning.

 

The CSL is one of over 30 specialist libraries from the National Library for Health (NLH) and is managed by the King’s Fund Information and Library Service. It will be officially launched at the King’s Fund Annual Conference in November 2008.

 

The King’s Fund Information and Library Service welcomes feedback or comments , and contact details can be found on the CSL homepage.

 

Special Care Dentistry Annual Evidence Update

This week the Oral Health Specialist Library launches a new Special Care Dentistry section with a full evidence update. The Update has identified relevant, best available information of interest to this new consultant specialty. In addition, there are special features on infective endocarditis and osteonecrosis of the jaw.