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A Librarian by Any Other Name

A Librarian by Any Other Name. The Role of the Informationist on a Medical School Research Team. Presenters. Sally A. Gore, MS, MS LIS Research Librarian & Informationist Lamar Soutter Library University of Massachusetts Medical School. Mary E. Costanza, MD Principal Investigator

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A Librarian by Any Other Name

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  1. A Librarian by Any Other Name The Role of the Informationist on a Medical School Research Team

  2. Presenters Sally A. Gore, MS, MS LIS Research Librarian & Informationist Lamar Soutter Library University of Massachusetts Medical School Mary E. Costanza, MD Principal Investigator Professor of Medicine University of Massachusetts Medical School

  3. The Informationist • Librarian • Expert in health information resources • Collection development • General referenceassistance • Instruction • Searching assistance • Informationist • Expert in health information resources and extensive domain knowledge • Consultation services • Database training • Systematic review • Knowledge management • Writing

  4. A Little History the big picture These new professionals might be called informationists(not a graceful term, but one that parallels such terms as gastroenterologists or hospitalists), or clinical knowledge workers (in parallel with social workers).

  5. A Little History at UMMS • A Funding Opportunity • A Chance to Expand Service • Finding Collaborators • Making it Happen

  6. The Grant • Promoting Breast Cancer Screening in • Non-Adherent Women • A five year (2009-14) clinical research project funded by the National Institutes of Health. • A large controlled trial of women in a local health plan ages 40-84 randomized to 1 of 3 ways to improve getting mammograms regularly every 1-2 years

  7. Promoting Breast Cancer Screening in Non-Adherent Women + + GOAL OF THE STUDY: To assess the cost-effectiveness of each arm in improving: Mammogram scheduling Mammogram completion Self-efficacy in repeating mammogram

  8. Why an Informationist? The Collaborator’s View • Large data sets to handle • Multiple data sources • Multiple investigators • Confusion among data sources re variable definitions and names • Need to improve communication among investigators • Need for categorizing, creating taxonomies, clarifying data collection inconsistencies

  9. Writing the Grant Proposal step one • Grant requirements for an embedded informationist • Review of ‘mother’ grant needs • Description of informationist’s training and strengths • Consultations with library seniority • Consultations with co-investigators • Iteration of multiple drafts • Submission of grant application

  10. Writing the Grant Proposal Writing the Grant Proposal step two • Informationist should be a colleague • Share in discussion of progress of ‘mother’ grant • Assist in analyzing data • Participate in writing and publishing team manuscripts • Meet with team regularly

  11. SUCCESS!! • Grant Funding: • September 2012 – January 2014 • Supporting 20% of Informationist’s Time (10 hrs/wk)

  12. We Begin • Introduce Informationist to team members • Meet with individual key members of team • Participation at weekly team meetings • Review ongoing reports from analyst(s) • Extricate Informationist from on-going library duties

  13. The Team • Fallon Community Health Plan • Claims Data Representative • Reliant Medical Group • Research Director • Research Coordinator • Site Project Director • Analyst • IT Guru • Chief of Radiology • Phone Counselors • Phone Schedulers • Primary Care Physicians • Claricode • Programmer • UMass Medical School • Family & Community Medicine • Principal Investigator • Project Director • Scheduler, Counselor Instructor • Administrative Secretary • Medicine • Principal Investigator • Behavioral Psychologist • Biostatistics • Biostatistician • Analyst • Center for Health Policy & Research • Director, Expert in Cost Analysis • Research Assistant • Library • Informationist

  14. Progress to Date the informationist • AIM 1: Improve effectiveness and efficiency of communication w/in team regarding data • AIM 2:Articulate technology issues related to implementation of the study • AIM 3:Enhance information organization, management, utilization, and access skills of team members • AIM 4:Assess value of an informationist to the research team

  15. Progress to Date the team Study began Jan. 2009 • Slowly winning battle with: • tracking system glitches • collating multiple data sources • miscommunication re variable names and definitions • 40,000 women on study • 4,500 reminder letters sent • 1,000 Wave 2 “Booster” reminder letters sent

  16. Lessons Learned so far… • Need cooperative players • Need buy-in from research team • Earlier imbedding on team to improve research efforts • Optimum: join team early and help write ‘mother’ grant • Increase covered Informationist’s time • Be realistic about decreasing library commitments

  17. The Future of Informationists • Mary’s Thoughts • Days of a single PI are over • Complex clinical studies have huge data bases from many data sources • Clear communication among investigators critical • Informationists can provide a team with conceptual cohesion • Sally’s Thoughts • Graduate programs MUST change • Research is NOT optional • Soft skills need to be recognized • Role isn’t always for librarians Hmmmm…

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