Monday, March 5, 2018

Ascension Wisconsin Library Services Literature Search Survey Annual Report - 2017


 By Michele Matucheski, MLS, AHIP,  Librarian for Ascension Wisconsin

In 2016, Ascension Wisconsin Librarians began collecting feedback on the research (literature searches) we provided to our patrons.  This feedback helps us understand how this information was used system-wide. This survey data was saved to a QuickBase App where we could compile and present the data visually.


This report shows the impact Library Services has on Ascension Wisconsin’s  Quadruple Aim :

                  1)      Delivering high quality care
                  2)      Better patient and
                  3)      provider experiences and
                  4)      lowering overall costs

The word cloud above illustrates just SOME of the research projects that your Librarians have worked on in 2017.
Research demonstrates that Librarian-led information services improve clinical decision making and patient care outcomes. Library Services and quality health information can
·                     Reduce hospital costs,  length of stay
·                     Prevent Hospital Readmissions
·                     Improve diagnosis, patient care outcomes and clinical decision making
·                     Further their institution's mission and goals through expert searches, teaching health professional literature searching skills, providing community outreach programs, supporting innovation and research, and disseminating the best medical and business practice information.
·                     Contribute to a culture of inquiry and quality improvement by teaching nurses, physicians and staff information literacy and  literature searching skills
·                     Help avoid adverse events
·                     Save health professionals' time


A single literature search takes a professional Health Sciences Librarian on average about 90 minutes to complete.  She usually consults 3-4 databases such as PubMed/Medline, Cinahl, Cochrane, Clinical Key, the Library catalog, and even Google. *  Some searches can take even longer and involve contacting experts in the field. 

The Ascension Wisconsin Librarians spent more than 1047 hours doing research for the organization in 2017.  This frees up time for associates to spend on patient care and other duties.

 The report includes :
·         A word cloud listing SOME of the high profile searches we did in the past year
·         Introduction & Purpose
·         Meet Your Librarians
·         Charts & Graphs
Ø  Reasons for asking a Librarian to do Research
Ø  Value of the Knowledge Provided
Ø  Change in Practice
Ø  Impact of Research Provided
Ø  Outcomes (as in Adverse Events Avoided)
Ø  Satisfaction
Ø  Time Saved
·         Total number of Searches done by AW Librarians in 2017
·         What Our Library Customers Say About Us

Thank you for using Library Services!

If you have questions or comments, please contact Your Ascension Wisconsin Librarians:


Michele Matucheski        Elissa Kinzelman-Vesely          Kellee Selden    




* Carol Friesen, Mê-Linh Lê, Carol Cooke & Melissa Raynard (2015) Analysis of a Librarian-Mediated Literature Search Service, Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 34:1, 29-46, DOI: 10.1080/02763869.2015.986782

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