bims-librar Biomed News
on Biomedical librarianship
Issue of 2024–11–10
twenty papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society



  1. Med Ref Serv Q. 2024 Oct-Dec;43(4):43(4): 316-325
      Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospital libraries provide research to support and improve patient care and health outcomes. This report reviews and compares the results of a series of 6 studies conducted between 2010 and 2023 by Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospital libraries to evaluate the information patrons received from their libraries in response to reference requests. The results found that the libraries' reference responses were relevant and timely and had a positive effect on patient care while saving staff time.
    Keywords:  Health care outcome assessment; hospital libraries; library reference services; program evaluation; quality improvement; surveys
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2024.2408990
  2. J Community Health. 2024 Nov 03.
      A health space is any physical, social, or virtual space that supports building health literacy skills, promotes health behavior, preventive health, and wellbeing, or provides health care, health information, or health or social services. To move the needle on health, especially preventive health, a focus on non-traditional health spaces is critical. Libraries serve various community needs such as food distribution, health literacy, education, immunization, and health screenings. This study explores the extent to which libraries are equipped to function as a health space. A convergent mixed-methods approach was utilized; 234 library personnel were randomly recruited using data from the 2017 Public Libraries Survey to complete a survey and 24 semi-structured follow-up interviews were conducted. Our findings support that libraries function as a health space in multiple ways including providing important health and social programming and services to patrons. They help meet patron's health information needs by leveraging the expertise of community partners and incorporating valuable input from patrons in programming decisions. However, the capacity of libraries to carry out these health initiatives varies, in particular due to limited staff expertise in health-related topics and structural issues (e.g., funding). Our research emphasizes the need to integrate organizational health literacy attributes into library operations, specifically by (1) streamlining strategic partnerships with community experts in libraries in high-need areas to extend their limited resources, and (2) incorporating health literacy into missions and operations to draw necessary financial and personnel support to overcome salient challenges (i.e., funding and staff training).
    Keywords:  Community health; Health space; Libraries; Organizational health literacy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-024-01403-z
  3. Med Ref Serv Q. 2024 Oct-Dec;43(4):43(4): 326-334
      The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Learning Resources Database provides access to more than 500 educational resources on NLM products and services, including videos, webinars, and tutorials. The database includes resources designed primarily for librarians, health educators, researchers, and clinicians, for finding biomedical literature, research data, chemical, and genetic information. You can search by keyword, subject, language, and audience, and access materials directly or download them for reuse. Resources are reviewed at least annually, and mos.t materials are in the public domain. Features of the site include interactive search options, topic guides, and upcoming training events. NLM also offers API access for integrating resources into other websites.
    Keywords:  Education resource; National Library of Medicine; online database
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2024.2414129
  4. Nature. 2024 Nov 06.
      
    Keywords:  Information technology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03574-0
  5. Med Ref Serv Q. 2024 Oct-Dec;43(4):43(4): 292-305
      Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming education, and faculty can either incorporate GenAI in intentional course design to promote inquiry-based learning (IBL) or resist its use. This study identified an effective strategy to intentionally integrate GenAI in the course design to promote IBL. A descriptive study design was used for graduate nursing students to compare the effectiveness of a GenAI literature search tool, Elicit: The AI Research Assistant, to PubMed and CINAHL. A two-phase framework was utilized to organize complex information and justify a preference. A rubric was designed to promote and assess critical thinking through IBL in educating graduate nursing students on information literacy and structuring a literature search. Discovering a relationship between the search tools, students identified the strengths (pros) and weaknesses (cons) of each tool and determined which tool was more effective in terms of accuracy, relevance and efficiency.
    Keywords:  AI literacy; Elicit: The AI Research Assistant; artificial intelligence; critical thinking skills; generative artificial intelligence; information literacy; literature search; nursing research
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2024.2403272
  6. Syst Rev. 2024 Nov 01. 13(1): 274
       BACKGROUND: Title-abstract screening in the preparation of a systematic review is a time-consuming task. Modern techniques of natural language processing and machine learning might allow partly automatization of title-abstract screening. In particular, clear guidance on how to proceed with these techniques in practice is of high relevance.
    METHODS: This paper presents an entire pipeline how to use natural language processing techniques to make the titles and abstracts usable for machine learning and how to apply machine learning algorithms to adequately predict whether or not a publication should be forwarded to full text screening. Guidance for the practical use of the methodology is given.
    RESULTS: The appealing performance of the approach is demonstrated by means of two real-world systematic reviews with meta analysis.
    CONCLUSIONS: Natural language processing and machine learning can help to semi-automatize title-abstract screening. Different project-specific considerations have to be made for applying them in practice.
    Keywords:  Automatization; Language models; Machine learning; Meta analysis; Natural language processing; Systematic review; Title-abstract screening
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-024-02688-w
  7. J Pediatr Surg. 2023 Oct 06. pii: S0022-3468(23)00580-8. [Epub ahead of print]
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.10.001
  8. Med Ref Serv Q. 2024 Oct-Dec;43(4):43(4): 279-291
      This report describes the incorporation of plain language and scientific communication best practices to supplement and simplify complex terminology and processes described on a highly utilized Systematic Review LibGuide. Guide content was evaluated pre- and post-revision using established metrics for readability, understandability, and actionability. The quality improvement process described in this report is accessible and feasible for other librarians to complete. Regardless of topic, if LibGuides are publicly available, it is important to ensure content is understandable by users, no matter their background or expertise, to ensure equitable access of information.
    Keywords:  LibGuides; library instruction; plain language; scientific communication; systematic reviews
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2024.2395228
  9. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024 Nov 04. 25(1): 879
       BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the quality and readability of large language model-generated responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Kienböck's disease (KD).
    METHODS: Nineteen FAQs about KD were selected, and the questions were divided into three categories: general knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment. The questions were inputted into the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4 (ChatGPT4) webpage using the zero-shot prompting method, and the responses were recorded. Hand surgeons with at least 5 years of experience and advanced English proficiency were individually contacted over instant WhatsApp messaging and requested to assess the responses. The quality of each response was analyzed by 33 experienced hand surgeons using the Global Quality Scale (GQS). The readability was assessed with the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES).
    RESULTS: The mean GQS score was 4.28 out of a maximum of 5 points. Most raters assessed the quality as good (270 of 627 responses; 43.1%) or excellent (260 of 627 responses; 41.5%). The mean FKGL was 15.5, and the mean FRES was 23.4, both of which are considered above the college graduate level. No statistically significant differences were found in the quality and readability of responses provided for questions related to general knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment.
    CONCLUSIONS: ChatGPT-4 provided high-quality responses to FAQs about KD. However, the primary drawback was the poor readability of these responses. By improving the readability of ChatGPT's output, we can transform it into a valuable information resource for individuals with KD.
    LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Observational study.
    Keywords:  Artificial intelligence; Kienböck’s disease; Patient education; Readability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-024-07983-0
  10. Cureus. 2024 Oct;16(10): e70882
      Introduction Patients are increasingly relying on the internet for information about their medical diagnoses, but there is little regulation on the content of these websites. The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of the informational content available on the internet regarding DeQuervain's tenosynovitis.  Methods The search phrasing "'DeQuervain' OR 'DeQuervain's' OR 'Radial styloid tenosynovitis' OR 'DeQuervain's synovitis' OR 'Wrist tendonitis'" was entered into the five most commonly used search engines, and the first 50 universal resource locators (URLs) were recorded, including sponsored sites. Duplicate sites and URLs linking to other search engines were removed, yielding a roster of 109 websites that form the basis for this study. Each site was graded by two authors and scored based on a previously published information evaluation protocol regarding informational content. A third individual resolved any conflict before analysis. The sum of these scores resulted in an "Informational Score" on a scale from 0 to 100. Results Sixty-six (60.6%) of the websites evaluated were authored by an academic institution or a physician, and these all provided conventional information. Thirty-two (29.4%) of the sites were commercial sites or sold commercial products. The remaining 11 websites (10.1%) had nonphysician, unidentified, or lay authorship. The mean informational score for all sites was 46.7 out of a maximum of 100 points. The mean score of the academic or physician-authored websites was 53.3 out of 100 points, compared to 36.7 out of 100 for the remainder of the sites, which was significantly different. The mean score for the 14 sponsored websites was 11.6 out of 100. Discussion/conclusion We concluded that internet information on DeQuervain's tenosynovitis is of poor quality and incomplete. Patients looking for information about DeQuervain's tenosynovitis on the internet should be advised to focus on academic- and physician-authored sites in order to avoid commercial bias and misleading information.
    Keywords:  content; dequervain's tenosynovitis; information; internet; quality
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.70882
  11. Cureus. 2024 Oct;16(10): e70819
       PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality and readability of corneal transplant websites.
    METHODS:  We examined internet resources related to corneal transplantation. The search terms "cornea transplantation," "keratoplasty," "keratoprothesis," and "eye transplantation" were searched on www.google.com. A total of 200 websites were scanned, with 50 websites for each search term. In the final evaluation, 113 websites were included in the study. DISCERN and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) scales were used to evaluate the websites' quality. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) were used to evaluate the readability of the information. The presence of the Health On the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONCode) certification on websites was examined in terms of quality.
    RESULTS: The total DISCERN score was 42.47 ± 17.06, and the score for the JAMA was 1.58 ± 1.52. The FKGL and SMOG scores were found to be 9.19 ± 2.08 and 8.20 ± 5.23, respectively. Most of the websites we examined related to corneal transplantation were profit websites. These websites had low JAMA and DISCERN scores but relatively high readability levels. They were sites that provided low-quality information and had more financial bias and conflict of interest. Journal and book websites were found to have higher readability scores. Journal and book-sourced websites with higher FKGL and SMOG scores were more difficult to read.
    CONCLUSION: Most of the websites exhibit financial bias, and as a result, they contain low-quality information. Online information must be more regulated for patients to easily access accurate, high-quality information.
    Keywords:  cornea transplantation; keratoplasty; readability; reliability; websites
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.70819
  12. Eur Urol Open Sci. 2024 Dec;70 64-69
    European Association of Urology Young Academic Urologists Kidney Transplantation Working Group
       Background and objective: YouTube is an open online video platform that both patients and health care professionals use to access information. Our aim was to evaluate the quality of videos related to living-donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) on YouTube.
    Methods: Research was conducted using the keywords "living donor kidney transplant" and "kidney transplant". We evaluated videos with more than 10 000 views and excluded those not in English. A total of 58 videos met the criteria for inclusion in the evaluation. We used the modified DISCERN tool, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark score, and the Global Quality Score (GQS) to evaluate the quality, accuracy, and educational value.
    Key findings and limitations: The quality of the videos was low, with a median DISCERN score of 1 (interquartile range [IQR] 1-2), JAMA score of 1 (IQR 1-2), and GQS of 2 (IQR 1-3). The majority of the videos were of North American origin (75.9%) and focused on the patient experience (51.7%). The scores for patient experience videos were significantly lower than for other videos according to all three scoring systems (p < 0.001). Videos uploaded by medical centers and private physicians/nurses had significantly higher scores than videos uploaded by patients or by TV shows/programs. Evaluation of only videos with English audio is a limitation of the study.
    Conclusions and clinical implications: Assessment of YouTube videos presenting information on LDKT revealed low quality. Health care organizations should create online resources and share them on social media platforms.
    Patient summary: We looked at the quality of YouTube videos on kidney transplantation using a kidney from a living donor. We found that the information presented in YouTube videos on this topic is of low quality.
    Keywords:  Instructional video; Kidney transplantation; Patient education; Transplant recipients
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euros.2024.10.005
  13. Front Neurol. 2024 ;15 1404038
       Background: As the Internet becomes an increasingly vital source of medical information, the quality and reliability of brain tumor-related short videos on platforms such as TikTok and Bilibili have not been adequately evaluated. Therefore, this study aims to assess these aspects and explore the factors influencing the dissemination of such videos.
    Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on the top 100 brain tumor-related short videos from TikTok and Bilibili. The videos were evaluated using the Global Quality Score and the DISCERN reliability instrument. An eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm was utilized to predict dissemination outcomes. The videos were also categorized by content type and uploader.
    Results: TikTok videos scored relatively higher on both the Global Quality Score (median 2, interquartile range [2, 3] on TikTok vs. median 2, interquartile range [1, 2] on Bilibili, p = 1.51E-04) and the DISCERN reliability instrument (median 15, interquartile range [13, 18.25] on TikTok vs. 13.5, interquartile range [11, 16] on Bilibili, p = 1.66E-04). Subgroup analysis revealed that videos uploaded by professional individuals and institutions had higher quality and reliability compared to those uploaded by non-professional entities. Videos focusing on disease knowledge exhibited the highest quality and reliability compared to other content types. The number of followers emerged as the most important variable in our dissemination prediction model.
    Conclusion: The overall quality and reliability of brain tumor-related short videos on TikTok and Bilibili were unsatisfactory and did not significantly influence video dissemination. Future research should expand the scope to better understand the factors driving the dissemination of medical-themed videos.
    Keywords:  DISCERN; Global Quality Score; XGBoost; brain tumors; short videos; social media
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2024.1404038
  14. Sci Rep. 2024 11 02. 14(1): 26448
      Schizophrenia is a common and serious heterogeneous mental disorder that has a significant health and economic impact on families and society. As the prevalence of schizophrenia increases each year, public awareness of the disorder is growing. However, it remains unclear whether the quality of information presented in these videos is satisfactory. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment of the quality and content of schizophrenia-related videos on video-sharing platforms is necessary. We screened 123 schizophrenia-related videos from the video-sharing platform TikTok that met the criteria, and evaluated and analyzed them. First, the basic information provided in the videos was recorded and analyzed. The source and content type of each video was then determined. The educational content and quality of all videos were then evaluated using three rating instruments, Modified DISCERN, Global Quality Scale, and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Videos from different sources were also compared to see if they were statistically different in terms of educational content and quality. We identified 4 categories of content for the videos. The science introduction category had the largest number of 50, and the least number of videos was etiology and causation at 15. Six categories of sources of videos were also identified: the for-profit organizations category has the lowest number of 10, the health professionals category has the highest number of 45. There was a significant correlation between video source and duration (P = 0.014). The JAMA score was significantly positively correlated with the number of video likes (r = 0.721, P < 0.001). This study evaluated the content and information quality of 123 videos related to schizophrenia on the video-sharing platform TikTok. The findings indicate that while these videos offer some valuable insights into schizophrenia, the overall quality falls short of satisfactory levels, with inadequate reliability and accuracy.
    Keywords:  Quality; Schizophrenia; Short video; Social media; TikTok
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75372-7
  15. Med Ref Serv Q. 2024 Oct-Dec;43(4):43(4): 306-315
      Librarians are uniquely poised to address the need for connecting individuals to health insurance information resources that are credible, as bias-free as possible, and written with literacy considerations in mind. This article explores health insurance outreach in libraries and presents a thorough list of vetted consumer resources on health insurance information. Each health insurance information resource is assessed, and connections are made to how the resources can be used in practice. This article aims to empower librarians to guide people to reliable health insurance information.
    Keywords:  Community outreach; health disparities; health insurance; health insurance literacy; health literacy; online databases
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2024.2405441
  16. Digit Health. 2024 Jan-Dec;10:10 20552076241286815
       Objective: Communities' use of technology and the internet for online health information (OHI) is increasing exponentially. An understanding of how and why individuals access OHI, and how this information influences decisions on health, medicines and self-care practices is critical. This review aims to: (1) identify the factors influencing OHI-seeking behaviour; (2) evaluate the evidence of OHI on self-care practices; and (3) outline strategies to improve online informed decision-making and assess the impact of these strategies on consumer outcomes.
    Methods: A review of systematic reviews was conducted in November of 2023, following the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA guidelines, and using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCOhost databases. The methodological quality of retrieved reviews was appraised using the AMSTAR 2 tool.
    Results: The search retrieved 1725 records. Of these, 943 were screened, and 33 were included in the final analysis. The most frequently identified reasons for seeking OHI were to retrieve diagnostic and treatment information, and well-being and emotional support. Level of education and socio-economic status influenced OHI-seeking. OHI directly influenced self-care decision-making by individuals and their relationships and communication with healthcare providers. Overall, OHI-seeking (and interventions to promote the use of OHI) enhanced individuals' confidence, skills and knowledge.
    Conclusions: The findings highlight the benefits of OHI-seeking and its potential influence on self-care decisions. Future research should focus on strategies that would promote the pursuit of high-quality, up-to-date OHI and on the development of interventions for healthcare professionals to improve patients' use of OHI in self-care and self-efficacy.
    Keywords:  Online health information; behaviour change; consumers; decision making; information-seeking behaviour; internet < general; lifestyle; self-care; systematic review
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241286815
  17. Health SA. 2024 ;29 2650
       Background: The sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information needs of adolescent girls in developing countries are not being met.
    Aim: The study explored the sexual and reproductive health information needs, information-seeking behaviour and barriers among adolescent girls in the Western Cape, South Africa.
    Setting: The study was conducted in the South eastern sub district of Cape Town metropole.
    Methods: The study was conducted at one of the high schools in a highly populated area in the Cape Town metropole. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 adolescent girls aged 16-17 years, who were recruited using purposive sampling techniques. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis framework.
    Results: Three themes emerged from the data: (1) adolescent girls exhibit limited awareness and comprehension of sexual and reproductive health; (2) the information-seeking behaviours of adolescent girls regarding sexual and reproductive health and (3) barriers to seeking information.
    Conclusion: The establishment of primary healthcare facilities that are friendly to adolescents, combined with impactful reproductive health education and improved parent-adolescent girl relations, is crucial for promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls.
    Contribution: The study offered valuable insights into the SRH information needs, information-seeking behaviour and barriers faced by adolescent girls in accessing SRH information sources and services. These barriers include lack of knowledge about SRH and contraception, challenges within family dynamics, difficulties accessing friendly healthcare services and encountering negative attitudes from healthcare professionals.
    Keywords:  South Africa; adolescent girls; adolescent sexual health; barriers to reproductive health; healthcare accessibility; information seeking; reproductive health needs; sexual and reproductive health
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v29i0.2650
  18. Womens Health (Lond). 2024 Jan-Dec;20:20 17455057241281236
       BACKGROUND: Health-related mobile applications (apps) have the potential to improve health knowledge and promote healthy behaviours during pregnancy. Pregnancy apps are popular and extensively used by consumers.
    OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the usage patterns, decision-making criteria and concerns regarding the quality and credibility of health-related information within pregnancy mobile applications. The aim of this study is to understand consumer perspectives to potentially contribute to guidelines for apps containing health-related information.
    DESIGN: A cross-sectional study, utilising an online questionnaire for data collection.
    METHODS: The study surveyed pregnant women in Australia who were recruited via online platforms, including social media and paid Facebook ads. Participants completed a 29-item questionnaire assessing their use of pregnancy apps, sources of health information and perceptions of app quality and safety, with data collected and analysed using the Qualtrics platform and SPSS Statistics.
    RESULTS: The survey was survey completed by 427 current-or-recently pregnant individuals, aged 18 or over and located in Australia. Overall, 62.3% were currently pregnant and 37.7% were recently pregnant, within 6 months. Medical practitioners were the primary source of pregnancy-related health information, and pregnancy apps were the third most common source. Pregnancy apps were considered to be a trustworthy source of information by 63.8% of respondents and the majority used apps during pregnancy (94.2%). Of those who used pregnancy apps (n = 325), information being safe and trustworthy was their top priority when selecting an app. However, 35.5% (n = 115) had encountered information in an app they felt was unsafe or conflicted with previous knowledge or advice. Only 4.6% (n = 15) were aware that health-related apps are not screened for accurate information/undergo quality assurance checks before being made available to download. If provided with a guide to evaluate app quality, 74.6% (n = 241) would utilise the tool.
    CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight a need to promote the critical assessment of health information within pregnancy apps and to develop resources to support consumers in doing so.
    Keywords:  digital health; health literacy; mobile phone; pregnancy; smartphone apps
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057241281236