Value of Health Sciences Library Resources and Services to Health Care Providers in Medium and Large Communities Across Two Mid-Continental States

Abstract

Abstract This article describes results from a survey of health care professionals in four hospitals serving medium (<300,000) and large (>300,000) communities in Colorado and Missouri about health sciences library information and services. Greater proportions of physicians than nurses or nonclinical respondents checked answers about the library's value in patient care, confirming patient management decisions, changing of tests, or changing of therapy. Medical providers indicated that health sciences libraries were of value for a large variety of uses, including changing and confirming patient management decisions and reducing length of stay. Keywords: Coloradohealth sciences librarieslength of stayMissouripatient careresourcesservices Acknowledgments This project has been funded in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services under contract no. N01-LM-6-3504 with the University of Utah. Additional funding was provided by the University of Missouri Libraries.