VOL. 27 NO. 2 March - April 2006

 

 

New Natural Standard Database -"The Authority on Integrative Medicine"

The Library is pleased to announce that Natural Standard, "the best resource for high quality, up-to-date, evidence-based information" in complementary and alternative medicine, is now freely accessible throughout the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center at www.naturalstandard.com. This and other statements from
prominent clinicians on the "Testimonials" link at the website validate its claim as "the authority of integrative medicine."

Created by and for clinicians and researchers in 2002, Natural Standard includes evidence-based information on dietary supplements, herbals, commercial diets, vitamins, acute and chronic conditions, and practices such as acupuncture and chiropractic. Its goal is the support of safer and more informed therapeutic decisions.

A systematic aggregation and analysis of scientific data and expert opinions is performed by a team of health care professionals. The evidence extracted is presented in comprehensive monographs for professionals and is graded from A (Strong Scientific Evidence) to F (Strong Negative Scientific Evidence). All monographs undergo blinded editorial and peer review prior to inclusion in one of three databases: Herbs & Supplements, Conditions Center, and Complementary Practices.

After clicking the “Login” link your input in the "Search For" box defaults to searching the three databases simultaneously.

However, one of the databases can be selected for a search or the alphabetical list of monographs in each database can be browsed. Searches can also be performed in the comprehensive CAM Dictionary; for interactions with drugs, herbs, foods and labs in Interactions, and for the product ingredients of international Brand Names. Other components include: News, Events, Practitioner Search, CME, and Patient Handouts in multiple reading levels and languages.

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Images.MD

Images.MD, the first and most popular online encyclopedia of medical images on the Web, is now freely accessible University-wide at www.images.md/. Images.MD includes more than 50,000 high quality images and authoritative explanatory text, in more than 90 subject specialties, contributed by more than 2,000 physicians. Based on the Library's subscription, you can now:

  • Search the database by keyword or image type, e.g. table, diagram or photograph
  • Browse the database by Specialty or Collection, e.g. Fungal Infections, AIDS, etc.
  • Create your own image library
  • Customize selected images by adding or deleting text
  • Create PowerPoint presentations or a CD-ROM from customized slidesets

Please note that the images are copyrighted, and therefore permission should be sought before multiple copies are made. For assistance with any aspect of Images.MD, please contact Peter Raposo in Biomedical Communications at
305-243-6783.

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Consumer Health Videos Now Available in HWRC

Health and Wellness Resource Center (HWRC) at infotrac.galegroup.com/menu has added more than 700 consumer health videos produced by Healthology, Inc., a physician-founded health media company. Videos are in news magazine format and about four minutes in length. New content is added weekly. Full video transcripts, a large library of text resources, and Spanish-language videos are also available. Videos can be searched or browsed by topic from the HWRC main search page.

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UpToDate Begins Evidence Graded Recommendations

With the release of version 14.1 at www.utdol.com/, UpToDate has begun adding evidence grading on recommendations for treatment and screening. In February, 2006, 150 of approximately 6,000 topics (2.5%) include graded recommendations in the Summary and Recommendations section at the end. Since grading a topic is a labor intensive process, this will be a multiyear project. The grading system in use was developed by UpToDate. Grades consist of two components: a number (1 or 2) that reflects a strong or weak recommendation, and a letter (A, B, or C) that reflects the quality of evidence supporting the recommendation.

A Strong Recommendation (1) grade is assigned when benefits clearly outweigh the risks and burdens for most, if not all patients.

A Weak Recommendation (2) grade is assigned when the benefits and risks are closely balanced
and/or uncertain.

A High Quality Evidence (A) grade is assigned when there is consistent evidence from
randomized trials or overwhelming evidence of some other form.

A Moderate Quality Evidence (B) grade is assigned when there is evidence from randomized trials with important limitations, or very strong evidence of some other form.

A Low Quality Evidence (C) grade is assigned when there is evidence from observational studies, unsystematic clinical observations, or from randomized trials with serious flaws.

Additional information is available at www.uptodate.com/service/editorial_policy.asp.

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Pre-1961 Print Journals Relocating to New Compact Shelving

Beginning in April, journal volumes published between 1945 and 1960 are being relocated from the second floor of the Library to the new compact shelving on the lower level, where they are being incorporated into the pre-1945 collection on existing compact shelving. When complete, all journal volumes prior to 1961 will be available in one alphabet on the two ranges of compact shelving on the lower level.

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Journal Collections Well Support Faculty Publications

An analysis of the 1,295 health sciences journals in which University of Miami faculty published articles between 1998 and 2000 documented that the Calder Library's journal collections currently boast 1,157 (89%)! With 61 of these journals available only in print form, most of the 1,157 titles are accessible electronically. An additional 17 titles are accessible in print form only at the Richter Library, bringing the total number of titles to 91%.

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Kudos - Lemkau Receives Janet Doe Award

Henry L. Lemkau, Jr., Professor, Director and Chairman of the Department of Medical Library and Biomedical Communications, was selected by the Medical Library Association to deliver the 2007 Janet Doe Lecture at the Association's annual meeting in Philadelphia. The Janet Doe Lecture award, one of the Association's highest honors, supports a lecture by a distinguished member of the profession on either the history or philosophy of medical librarianship.

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Other Faculty News

Carmen Bou-Crick was a selector in Psychiatry and Psychiatric Nursing of books included in Doody's Core Titles in the Health Sciences 2005, and a reviewer for the Mental Health Special Interest Group programs at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association.

Suzetta Burrows published "A review of electronic journal acquisition, management, and use in health sciences libraries," in Journal of the Medical Library Association 2006 94(1):67-74 Jan.

Tanya Feddern and Kathryn Ewers, Educator, Jackson Health System had their paper titled "Strategies for Creating an Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Culture," accepted for the Annual Meeting of the MLA, May 22, 2006, in Phoenix. Their paper titled "Development of a Hospital-based Certificate in Evidence-Based Nursing: A Joint Venture between Nursing Education and a University Medical Library," was accepted for the 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice, July 22, 2006 in Montreal.

John Jones, Jr., Tanya Feddern, and Susan Setterlund had their paper titled "Evidence-Based Medicine: Transforming Technology for Teaching at Two Campuses," accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the MLA, May 21, 2006, in Phoenix.

Koichi Tasa was appointed Archivist in March and completed the Modern Archives Institute, sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration, January 23-February 3, 2006, in Washington, DC. Mr. Tasa joined the Library faculty in March 2004 as the Archivist for the Emanuel M. Papper, M.D., Ph.D. Archive, which was successfully
organized, preserved, and selectively digitized during the past two years.

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Papper Archive and Website Completed

The Library is pleased to announce the completion of the Emanuel M. Papper, M.D., Ph.D. physical and digital Archive in March, 2006. You are invited to browse the comprehensive website below at calder.med.miami.edu/papper/. You may contact Koichi Tasa at ktasa@med.miami.edu or 305-243-4034 for further information on or access to the physical archive located in the Emanuel M. Papper, M.D. Reading Room on the third floor of the Library.

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