Redefining our Territory: Reaching Pre-Matriculation Students With Case-Based, Online Instruction

Online educational tools have made it possible for our library to claim some educational territory that was previously unavailable to us, the pre-matriculation period. During the summer of 2015 we were able to add a two-part, case-based, online tutorial to our incoming medical students’ pre-matriculation materials. We created the story of Sarah Pilger, a hypothetical, obese, pregnant teenager whose pregnancy is complicated by a fetal toxoplasmosis. The case introduces the incoming students to almost all the resources they might want to use while enrolled at UNMC and also introduces students to the roles of the many healthcare professionals who are essential to the care of Sarah and her daughter Emily. Questions are posted throughout the Guide-on-the-Side tutorials and instant feedback is provided. Student response to the 2016 tutorial was overwhelmingly positive. We revised the tutorial for use during the summer of 2017, added pre- and post-tests, and will be able to present results of the tests at meeting time. Our dream is to one day have tutorials for each of UNMC’s colleges’ entering classes based on Sarah’s case, and to use these tutorials to foster inter-professional conversation and education. We have already worked with faculty in UNMC’s College of Allied Health Professions to create versions of the tutorial for clinical nutrition and ultrasonography students. The new tutorials are now used as the basis of an interprofessional learning experience in these programs’ obstetric units

Elevating Librarian-Mediated Search Services: When 2nd Best Isn\u27t Good Enough

Objective: To optimize librarian-mediated search services, librarians must consider all aspects of their search service that affect service utilization and efficacy. The library literature provides little information concerning the format in which libraries are providing literature search results and even less on the effect of format on search service utilization.  At our academic health science library, the number of search requests received rose dramatically after we began providing results in RefShare format. RefShare is the collaboration tool available in ProQuest’s RefWorks®.  We wanted to know how other libraries were providing results and whether they had seen format affect search service utilization. Methods: A survey created using Springshare’s LibWizard® was distributed to the MEDLIB-L listserv, the expertsearching listserv, and through direct email to AAHSL reference and education librarians. The survey was sent out on March 31st, 2019 and closed on April 30th, 2019. We asked about the audience that the librarian/library served and requested basic information about the librarian-mediated search services offered -- with a special focus on formats used to send literature search results to the requester. Results and Conclusion: We have analyzed the survey results, and we share our findings here

Systematic Review of Preclinical Surgical Meshes for Hernia Repair

Hernia repair is one of the most common procedures performed around the world. Surgical mesh materials are used to reinforce hernia repairs and improve surgical outcomes. However, current commercial mesh materials produce problems such as infection, rejection, shrinkage, adhesion, and mechanical failure. These problems contribute to a high rate of hernia recurrence and mesh removal. With the number of hernias expected to rise in the future due to increases in obesity and diabetes, the need for more effective mesh materials is critical. This review aims to identify, evaluate, and summarize experimental surgical mesh materials used in the preclinical stages of development and catalogue their characteristics and the tests used for their evaluation.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/surp2021/1053/thumbnail.jp