Search skills training - new dates

Hands-on, group training sessions on various aspects of searching for healthcare information online will be held on the following dates:

An introduction to healthcare information on the internet
An introduction to key online healthcare resources and to core searching techniques. This course would be suitable for anyone requiring a refresher or who is new to looking for healthcare information. Course outline.

• Tuesday 2nd February (10.00 to 1.00) - IT training room B, 2nd floor, education centre
• Wednesday 17th March (10.00 to 1.00) - IT skills training room, opposite Cafe Gypps, education centre

Finding the evidence
Learn how to find and filter high level evidence such as systematic reviews, RCTs and guidelines from a range of resources, including the Cochrane Library. Course outline.

• Wednesday 13th January (10.00 to 1.00) - IT training room A, 2nd floor, education centre
• Wednesday 24th February (10.00 to 1.00) - IT skills training room, opposite Cafe Gypps, education centre

Searching the literature
An introduction to Athens resources, including accessing full-text journals and constructing simple database searches. Course outline.

• Monday 22nd February (9.30 to 12.30) - IT skills training room
• Monday 22nd March (9.30 to 12.30) - IT skills training room
• Thursday 15th April (9.30 to 12.30) - IT skills training room

Please see the hospital library website for the course booking form and further information about training opportunities.

Annual evidence updates - January 2010

The NHS Evidence Specialist Collections have been developed to identify and meet the information needs of particular communities of practice. They are web-based collections containing clinical and non-clinical information on the major health priority areas. Each specialist collection identifies and provides access to quality assessed information of relevance to the community that it serves.

An aspect of this involves the production of Annual Evidence Updates, which aim to highlight the best current evidence for selected healthcare topics. Annual Evidence Updates consist of the good quality evidence from a search of research evidence on a particular topic over a 12 month period, plus user-friendly summaries written by relevant experts, and links to guidelines, secondary research and primary research, if applicable. All information included in Annual Evidence Updates has been subject to rigorous selection criteria.

The calendar of Annual Evidence Updates until March 2010 is available here. The following Annual Evidence Update is scheduled for January:

Patient and carer involvement in chronic disease (Supportive and palliative care specialist collection) - 18th January
The second update on this topic collects together the best current knowledge on self care in chronic disease management. Key resources from a small sample of chronic conditions, together with the End of Life Care setting are placed within the general theme of user involvement in health services.