Health Information and Libraries Journal最新文献

Objectives: Although the concept of overdiagnosis was first referenced in MEDLINE 100 years ago, consensus on a clear definition has been lacking. In 2021, the MeSH term "Overdiagnosis" was officially introduced, which defined the concept. A key goal of the new term is to improve the reliability of literature searches and enhance the conceptual understanding of overdiagnosis.

Methods: We conducted a systematic bibliometric review of all citations indexed under the MeSH term for "Overdiagnosis" in MEDLINE. We compared the citations with citations identified through a text-word search for overdiagnosis not indexed under the MeSH term. Searches were performed on 15 September 2024.

Results: We found that a higher percentage of citations indexed under the new MeSH term used it according to the definition compared with the text-word search (73.2% vs. 49.5%). The remainder used the term to describe misdiagnosis, false positives, and overtreatment. The citations indexed under the MeSH term were primarily descriptive in nature (68.7%), focusing on oncology (54.2%) and screening practices (31.2%).

Discussion: Despite advancements, the field of overdiagnosis is still in its early stages, with potential for expansion into studies addressing prevention and mitigation strategies. The introduction of the MeSH term has facilitated some degree of conceptual alignment.

Conclusion: Our review provides insights into the current state of the overdiagnosis literature, emphasising prevalent themes and areas for further research, and improvements in MeSH indexing accuracy. Residual conceptual ambiguity surrounding overdiagnosis terminology and indexing practices may explain discrepancies in MeSH categorisation and definition adherence.

Background: Living with cardiac implantable electronic devices requires patients to apply information skills.

Objective: To explore barriers to the health literacy of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices.

Methods: This descriptive, qualitative study was conducted with 18 patients. Data were gathered via semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Content analysis was applied to the data. The results were reported using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).

Results: Two themes emerged: 'Floundering patients'; 'Lackadaisical patients'. First theme involved four subthemes: 'An enormous unmet need for information'; 'The information source: The doctor'; 'Communication issues'; 'Preferences'. Second theme included two subthemes: 'Dependence on doctor' and 'Dependence on others'.

Discussion: Theme one revealed that patients found it difficult to evaluate the health information and assumed the doctor was the prime source of information, rather than other health professionals who might help provide the necessary education and counselling. Theme two was 'lackadaisical patients', who failed to access information, communicate with the healthcare provider, evaluate information, or take a role in the decision-making process due to their complete trust in doctors and informal caregivers.

Conclusion: These results suggested that nurses should play a role in the improvement of patients' health literacy, with the help of health information professionals.

The 'International Book Collection' was established to foster cultural diversity among the staff community at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. The initiative focused on building a collection of world literature that reflects the traditional values, beliefs and cultural perspectives of the individuals working in the organisation. The key challenge encountered during the development of the collection was ensuring the true representation of the staff community within the organisation. In order to start putting the collection together, promotional strategies were designed incorporating the user's needs. In August 2024, the collection was launched as an initiative through which users can recommend books that represent their cultural heritage. It has remained active since August 2024 and, as of June 2025, a total of 32 recommendations have been received.

Adopting a collaborative partnership approach to designing and delivering E-Learning programmes is an effective way to enhance the delivery of information skills training for end users. The experiences of the national NHS England Knowledge and Library Services Team working collaboratively in partnership to develop three E-Learning programmes are described. These cover skills development for the health care workforce in the areas of literature searching, critical appraisal and knowledge mobilisation. Working with subject matter experts, partners based in knowledge and library service teams, learning technologists and specialist media training design teams has led to improvements in E-Learning planning, design and delivery. As an enhancement to more traditional face-to-face information training sessions, the E-Learning modules have been launched a total of 24,029 times between April 2023 and July 2024.

This article is part of a research project aimed at leveraging environmental health literacy (EHL) to enhance public health in developing countries. EHL is an emerging concept that integrates elements from information literacy, health literacy, and environmental literacy. It equips individuals with a wide range of skills and competencies to evaluate and understand the relationship between their environment and their health, enabling them to make informed decisions. Based on a proposed four-dimensional conceptual framework—comprising accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying information—a tool called EHL-Q25 was developed for assessing EHL. This article focuses on how the proposed framework and the validated EHL-Q25 tool can be utilized to inform the provision of services and practices in health sciences libraries.

This study explores the application of user experience (UX) strategies to enhance the learning environment within the Leeds General Infirmary Library, part of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Despite the growing importance of UX in digital services and academic libraries, its adoption in health libraries has been limited. This paper details the implementation of three UX techniques—Graffiti walls, observations and behavioural mapping, and love and breakup letters—adapted from Andy Priestner's toolkit. The findings highlight user preferences and behaviours, leading to practical, low-cost improvements in the library space. The study underscores the value of UX methodologies in optimising library services to better meet user needs, even in resource-limited settings.

This article examines how direct engagement with credible resources significantly enhances students' practical skills in clinical scenarios. The program prepares students to utilize authoritative resources, fostering confidence in real-world clinical settings, especially in resource-limited environments. Data from student evaluations indicate a marked improvement in perceived difficulty of EBM cases and overall performance scores following the implementation of librarian-led learning sessions. This approach not only meets accreditation standards but also equips future healthcare professionals with essential skills for effective patient care. This underscores the crucial role of librarians in enhancing students' abilities to appraise and apply evidence-based knowledge.

Networks draw people together, allow us to share ideas and best practices, and make connections across a wide range of library and knowledge services. However, ‘networking’ is a term that often brings people out into a cold sweat (particularly for the introverts amongst us), conjuring up awkward small talk over drinks breaks at professional events! In CILIP's Health Libraries Group (HLG), we recognise that our rich network of members, across a wide range of organisations, is one of our greatest strengths. In this editorial, we introduce our new shadowing network that aims to connect our members and offer cross-sectoral reflection and development, for individuals and for library and knowledge services. We encourage you to add your library to the network so that together we can expand our horizons and develop as individuals and a sector.

CILIP's second Green Libraries Conference was held at the British Library on 25 November 2024. HLG's Sustainability Leads Janine Hall and Adam Tocock report on the programme and its relevance to healthcare library staff.