An evidence-based approach to engaging healthcare users in a

journals review project

Anne Murphy BA DLIS MSc Head Librarian

Tallaght Hospital 35th UKSG Conference, 27th March 2012

Tallaght Hospital, Dublin

Provide tertiary service to 400,000 people in 3 counties

National referral centre for some clinical specialities

“Academic libraries have always operated in a fairly economically

disadvantaged environment and are frequently the first to

suffer budget cutbacks in times of difficult financial

circumstances.” Fallon, MP 2011. The status of the Irish Research eLibrary. World Libraries. 18(2)http://www.worlib.org/vol18no2/fallonprint_v18n2.shtml

Health libraries in Ireland

“Within the health sector, library services, like all other areas, are struggling with reduced budgets, loss of expert staff and increased demand from users. The network so carefully built is now under serious threat.”SHELLI Report, Health Sciences Libraries Group, December 2011

Tallaght Hospital Library

Library website:Evidence & reference databases 300 journals in 200912,000 books

Pills, Pillows and Inhalers

Photograph by kind permission of Tommy Walsh, Clinical Photographer, Tallaght Hospital

Autumn 2010

Informed Decisions

Build datasets of metrics and evaluations

‘equitable,expedient and

affable’Carey R et al. An evidence-based approach for gaining faculty acceptance in a serials cancellation

project. Collection Management, 2006. 30(2)59-72.

Project Objectives

Retain the most relevant, valued and used journals

Protect good relationship with staff

Meet the budget target

Journals

Core1%

Package8%

Secure funding9%

For review82%

286 journals in total

236 for review

User survey

Rating scale:1. Essential2. Cancel only if necessary3. May be cancelled4. Cancel

Surveyed 500 senior clinical and management staff using 43

standardised forms adjusted for each department

Journal metrics

Cost

Usage

Cost per use

Respondents

36% response rate

Medical47%

Nursing17%

Allied Health29%

Other professionals2%

Management5%

Response rates:100% Rheumatology12% Surgery

201125%

7% Hospital average

The decision-making process

in

Round 1 – Identify definite keepers

30 titles

Round 2: two thresholds

44 journals tagged for probable cancellation

9 journals identified for purchase

Cost > €2,000

OR

< 1O uses

Round 3

Departmental / Speciality titles

55 journals identified for cancellation

Round 4

Departmental / Speciality titles

18 journals identified

for cancellation

TOTAL

73

titles identified for cancellation

Project Report 2011

Key Message: Use the journals

Feedback

“This is very interesting...”

Number of journal subscriptions

213

286300

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2009 2010 2011

Post-operative Review

Successfully managed staff expectations

The decision-making process proved successful

Librarians’ knowledge is crucial

2012

15%

User survey 2012

Leaner and cleaner

Increased the number surveyed to 550 and decreased the number of customised forms to 31

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Consider all these titles as core reading

Two specialist journals is a minimumTwo [...] journals for a teaching hospital is a

disgrace

Respondents in 2012

Medical41%

Nursing19%

Allied Health29%

Management7%

Other Professionals4%

34% response rate

The decision-making process

Baseline of 300 Journals in 2009

182

14

73

31Retained

Cancelled in 2010

Cancelled in 2011

Cancelled in 2012

Total of 118 cancelled titles in 3 years

Number of Journals

300 286

213182

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2009 2010 2011 2012

Midpoint of 2012 Project

Report back to hospital staff in April 2012

Leverage staff advocacy for their information needs to be met

Survey staff about their use of the published literature, discovery methods and their experience of the research publishing process

Supply on demand?

Yes46%No

26%

Did not indicate a preference

28%

Source: AMNCH Library survey, November 2010

Photographs by kind permission of Tommy Walsh, Clinical Photographer, Tallaght Hospital