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Large databases of published medical research can support clinical decision making by providing physicians with the best available evidence. The time required to obtain optimal results from these databases using traditional systems often makes accessing the databases impractical for clinicians. This article explores whether a hybrid approach of augmenting traditional information retrieval with knowledge-based methods facilitates finding practical clinical advice in the research literature.

To evaluate: (1) the effectiveness of wireless handheld computers for online information retrieval in clinical settings; (2) the role of MEDLINE in answering clinical questions raised at the point of care.

This study sought to determine public opinion on alternatives to project-specific consent for use of their personal information for health research.

Few research designs look at the deep structure of complex social systems. We report the design and implementation of a multimethod evaluation model to assess the impact of computerized order entry systems on both the technical and social systems within a health care organization.

The implementation of comprehensive clinical data repositories carries implications for the medical informatics curriculum for pre-MD medical students. There is the risk that electronic health records will detract from students' acquisition of basic skills in inquiry and information management. It is possible, however, to create an application within the data repositories that will provide students with opportunities to practice their skills as they follow the evaluation and management of patients.

In this report, we describe the Automated Epidemiological Geotemporal Integrated Surveillance system (AEGIS), developed for real-time population health monitoring in the state of Massachusetts. AEGIS provides public health personnel with automated near-real-time situational awareness of utilization patterns at participating healthcare institutions, supporting surveillance of bioterrorism and naturally occurring outbreaks. As real-time public health surveillance systems become integrated into regional and national surveillance initiatives, the challenges of scalability, robustness, and data [...]

To test whether individuals experience cognitive biases whilst searching using information retrieval systems. Biases investigated are anchoring, order, exposure and reinforcement.

Parallel to the monumental problem of replacing paper-and-pen-based patient information management systems with electronic ones is the problem of evaluating the extent to which the change represents an improvement. All clinicians must grapple with this daunting challenge; those with little or no informatics expertise may be particularly surprised by the attendant difficulties. To do so successfully, they must be able to explicitly conceptualize the daily clinical work-a prerequisite for appreciating [...]

Many unintended and undesired consequences of Healthcare Information Technologies (HIT) flow from interactions between the HIT and the healthcare organization's sociotechnical system-its workflows, culture, social interactions, and technologies. This paper develops and illustrates a conceptual model of these processes that we call Interactive Sociotechnical Analysis (ISTA). ISTA captures common types of interaction with special emphasis on recursive processes, i.e., feedback loops that alter the newly introduced HIT and promote second-level [...]

A. Identify the current state of data management needs of academic biomedical researchers. B. Explore their anticipated data management and analysis needs. C. Identify barriers to addressing those needs.