Spotlight on: STAT!Ref

Have your heard the latest on ACP PIER? It's the American College of Physicians Physicians' Information and Education Resource and it's the #1 rated evidence-based point of care tool according to a recent study.

Did you know that the library provides you with access to the latest editions of Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses, DSM-IV-TR and Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary - all online?

Have you ever wanted to find a unit/dose converter, equations, multicalcs, decisions trees or clinical criteria? Well, it's all there and much more when you log on to MedCalc 3000, a computerized medical reference and tool set.

These and other resources can be found in a cross-searchable, healthcare reference that integrates over 70 core titles with evidence-based resources and innovative tools in one site.

It's called STAT!Ref and it's available to you right now!

Go to Pipeline and click on the Libraries tab. Then choose Databases and look for STAT!Ref under Nursing and Health Sciences.

H1N1 Flu Information

Due to the global outbreak of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza (formerly known as Swine Flu) and concerns about the 2009/2010 flu season, EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) and our medical and nursing editors have made the pertinent influenza information from our resources available for free to health care providers worldwide. This site includes more than 50 evidence-based topics including patient education information in 17 languages.

The information provided For Clinicians and For Nurses consolidates the best-available evidence from hundreds of medical and nursing journals and systematic evidence review databases. Each publication is reviewed cover-to-cover, and each article is evaluated for clinical relevance and scientific validity. The new evidence is then integrated with existing content, and overall conclusions are changed as appropriate representing a synthesis of the best available evidence and ensuring that health care providers stay current with recommendations for monitoring, diagnosing, and treating patients with flu-like illnesses.

The For Patients section includes the latest information on Pandemic H1N1 and Seasonal Influenza. These patient topics take advantage of the same evidence-based methodology and literature surveillance process as the topics written for healthcare providers. The resources are written specifically for patients, their families, co-workers, parents and teachers—anyone interested in learning more about the various strains of the flu or what to do it they or someone they know is diagnosed.

The patient education information provides non-medical professionals with current, easy to understand articles about Pandemic H1N1 and Seasonal Flu. The information may also be used by physicians and nurses as patient handouts.

The EBSCO editorial teams will continue to monitor information and update these resources as needed throughout the upcoming flu season.

Epi Paper Topic: Malaria

The World Malaria Report 2008 describes the global distribution of cases and deaths, how WHO-recommended control strategies have been adopted and implemented in endemic countries, sources of funding for malaria control, and recent evidence that prevention and treatment can alleviate the burden of disease.

The WHO website is one of the premier online sources for international data and statistics on both chronic and infectious diseases. Go to the WHO Data and Statistics page to start your research.

Visit any one of the Librarians at Atherton Library's Reference Desk for research assistance. They can show you other valuable resources that you may have missed in your previous online and database searches, as well as help you to improve your search strategies and techniques.

Web Resource: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Often called “the voice of CDC,” the MMWR series is the agency’s primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. MMWR readership predominately consists of physicians, nurses, public health practitioners, epidemiologists and other scientists, researchers, educators, and laboratorians.

Example of a recently published report:

Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Associated with Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter--Containing Products --- United States, 2008--2009

*Highly recommended web resource for nursing students researching diseases and other epidemiological topics.

Attn: NURS 4960 students

The Reference Librarians at Atherton Library are here to assist you with your epidemiology paper research. Here's how we can help you:

• Find contact information for organizations and associations.
• Track down local, national, and international data and statistics.
• Direct you to appropriate print and online resources.
• Develop effective search strategies for use in our online databases and on the Web.

Visit us at the Reference Desk during library hours or call 236-5803. You can also e-mail your research question to athlib@hpu.edu.