Evaluation of the KA24 (Knowledge Access 24) service for health- and social-care staff in London and the south-east of England. Part 2: qualitative

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this two-part paper is to identify the main transferable lessons learned from both the quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the KA24 (Knowledge Access 24) service of online databases and selected full text journals for health and social care staff in London and the South-East of England. The objectives of the qualitative evaluation were to assess the enablers and barriers to usage, and to assess the impact of the service on patient care. METHODS: Telephone interviews (n=65) and a questionnaire survey (n=296) were conducted with various types of user, in various Trust settings. Some non-users were also contacted. Selection of interviewees and questionnaire recipients was not random, and aimed to cover all groups of users representatively. RESULTS: Results show that policy goals were being delivered, with indications of changes to clinical practice, and improved clinical governance. Promotion, training and support needs to be extensive, and tailored to needs, but users are not always aware they need training. The sharing of passwords cast doubts on the reliability of some usage data. CONCLUSIONS: Digital health library services, delivered at the point of care, are changing the way some clinicians practise. A combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods are needed to assess digital library services

Genomics of seasonal hair shedding and ecoregion-specific growth to identify environmentally-adapted beef cattle

Includes vita.Recently, interest has increased in augmenting current national scale cattle evaluations with precision genetic predictions tailored to specific environmental conditions. Some efforts to develop environmentally-aware predictions have focused on the use of novel phenotypes and others on the incorporation of genotype-by-environment interactions (GxE) to existing methodologies. Cattle and other mammal species molt thick winter coats at the beginning of summer in order to prepare for the oncoming stress of warmer weather. In warm climates, cattle that shed their winter coat earlier and more completely have an adaptive advantage over later-shedding herd-mates, and previous work has demonstrated the relationship between seasonal coat shedding and production traits. Using a novel trait (early summer hair shedding score) we develop a genetic evaluation for heat tolerance. We find that hair shedding score is moderately heritable and controlled by genomic loci involved in light sensing and metabolism. Additionally, we explore the degree to which GxE interactions across discrete ecoregions affect pre-weaning growth in American Angus cattle. We find evidence for GxE in the maternal but not direct effect of weaning weight, particularly in heat-stressed environments. Together, these efforts will help beef cattle breeders match genetics to the environmental conditions in which they are best suited.Includes bibliographical references (pages 110-135

Evaluation of the KA24 (Knowledge Access 24) service for health and social care staff in London and the South-East of England. Part 1: Quantitative

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This two-part paper aims to identify the main transferable lessons learned from both the quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the Knowledge Access 24 (KA24) service of online databases and selected full-text journals for health and social care staff in London and the south-east of England. The quantitative evaluation analysed usage rates and user registration with the objective of measuring uptake by previously disadvantaged staff, and to inform the subsequent qualitative survey. METHODS: User and usage data were analysed by type of NHS Trust, by type of user, and by what was being used. The evaluation assessed development in user registration and usage of both databases and journals over a 2-year period. Data were aggregated and analysed both monthly and quarterly. RESULTS: Usage levels increased, but uptake in both the mental health and primary care sectors was comparatively slow. Nurses and allied professionals used the service more than doctors. The increase in usage of full-text journals over the usage of databases was marked. CONCLUSIONS: Previously disadvantaged staff used electronic resources. A qualitative survey was needed to identify the main enablers and barriers to uptake