Skip to main content
PMC home page
Bulletin of the Medical Library Association logoLink to Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
. 1990 Apr;78(2):165–172.

Physician information seeking: improving relevance through research.

L D Gruppen 1
PMCID: PMC225370  PMID: 2183904

Abstract

Health sciences libraries have considerable potential as resources for both formal continuing professional education, as well as the informal continuing education that results from the professional's efforts to solve problems in daily practice. While there is a growing interest in making the resources of health sciences libraries more accessible to practitioners on a routine, day-to-day basis, there also needs to be more awareness of how, when, where, and why professionals look for information in the context of practical problems. This paper reviews recent research that identifies the context in which physicians seek information and advice from external sources, the information sources that physicians access, and the factors that influence which particular sources are sought. The results indicate that physicians vary in their information needs, preferences, motivations, and strategies for seeking information. This diversity suggests that health sciences libraries, in their efforts to be more accessible, should consider "market research" to determine the needs, preferences, and use patterns of the library's targeted users. Libraries may also benefit from exploring alternative methods of improving access to their resources.

Full text

PDF
165

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barrows H. S., Bennett K. The diagnostic (problem solving) skill of the neurologist. Experimental studies and their implications for neurological training. Arch Neurol. 1972 Mar;26(3):273–277. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1972.00490090099009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cervero R. M. A factor analytic study of physicians' reasons for participating in continuing education. J Med Educ. 1981 Jan;56(1):29–34. doi: 10.1097/00001888-198101000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gruppen L. D., Wolf F. M., Van Voorhees C., Stross J. K. Information-seeking strategies and differences among primary care physicians. Mobius. 1987;7(3):18–26. doi: 10.1002/chp.4760070306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gruppen L. D., Wolf F. M., Van Voorhees C., Stross J. K. The influence of general and case-related experience on primary care treatment decision making. Arch Intern Med. 1988 Dec;148(12):2657–2663. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Haynes R. B., Davis D. A., McKibbon A., Tugwell P. A critical appraisal of the efficacy of continuing medical education. JAMA. 1984 Jan 6;251(1):61–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kassirer J. P., Gorry G. A. Clinical problem solving: a behavioral analysis. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Aug;89(2):245–255. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-2-245. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Moore-West M., Northup D., Skipper B., Teaf D. Information-seeking behavior among physicians practicing in urban and nonurban areas. Res Med Educ. 1984;23:237–242. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Murray-Lyon N. Communication in medicine: a study of how family doctors obtain information on recent advances in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Med Educ. 1977 Mar;11(2):92–102. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Stinson E. R., Mueller D. A. Survey of health professionals' information habits and needs. Conducted through personal interviews. JAMA. 1980 Jan 11;243(2):140–143. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Stross J. K., Bole G. G. Continuing education in rheumatoid arthritis for the primary care physician. Arthritis Rheum. 1979 Jul;22(7):787–791. doi: 10.1002/art.1780220717. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Stross J. K., Bole G. G. Evaluation of a continuing education program in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1980 Jul;23(7):846–849. doi: 10.1002/art.1780230711. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stross J. K., Hiss R. G., Watts C. M., Davis W. K., Macdonald R. Continuing education in pulmonary disease for primary-care physicians. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Jun;127(6):739–746. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.127.6.739. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Weinberg A. D., Ullian L., Richards W. D., Cooper P. Informal advice- and information-seeking between physicians. J Med Educ. 1981 Mar;56(3):174–180. doi: 10.1097/00001888-198103000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the Medical Library Association are provided here courtesy of Medical Library Association

RESOURCES