• Database Search Services as a Basic Service in Academic Health Sciences Libraries

      Jankowski, Terry A.; Martin, Elaine Russo (1994-10-01)
      Mediated search services, usually offered for a fee, are commonplace in academic health sciences libraries. At the same time, users of these services have numerous self-service options available to them; for example, CD-ROMs and locally mounted databases. In keeping with its philosophy of access to rather than ownership of information, the University of Washington Health Sciences Library and Information Center (HSLIC) changed its policy from charging clients for mediated searching to offering mediated searches as an essential service of the library. By taking this step, HSLIC moved closer to becoming a true "library without walls." This paper describes HSLIC's experience with changing its policy and examines the issues surrounding use of the collection budget to subsidize access to online information in academic health sciences libraries.
    • Strategies to manage the time demands of online teaching

      Parker, Elaine Barber; Howland, Lois C. (2006-11-17)
      The time demands of online teaching may discourage nurse educators from developing distance learning courses. As consumer expectations for online education grow, it is essential that educators identify strategies that will enable efficient use of time to both develop and teach online courses. The authors review the distance learning literature from the perspective of time management strategies for online teaching. Approaches used by the authors to efficiently develop and teach online courses are described.
    • The feasibility of a multi-format Web-based assessment of physicians' communication skills

      Kim, Sara; Brock, Douglas M.; Hess, Brian J.; Holmboe, Eric S.; Gallagher, Thomas H.; Lipner, Rebecca S.; Mazor, Kathleen M. (2011-09-10)
      OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the best approaches and format for measuring physicians' communication skills in an online environment. This study examines the reliability and validity of scores from two Web-based communication skill assessment formats. METHODS: We created two online communication skill assessment formats: (a) MCQ (multiple-choice questions) consisting of video-based multiple-choice questions; (b) multi-format including video-based multiple-choice questions with rationales, Likert-type scales, and free text responses of what physicians would say to a patient. We randomized 100 general internists to each test format. Peer and patient ratings collected via the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) served as validity sources. RESULTS: Seventy-seven internists completed the tests (MCQ: 38; multi-format: 39). The adjusted reliability was 0.74 for both formats. Excellent communicators, as based on their peer and patient ratings, performed slightly better on both tests than adequate communicators, though this difference was not statistically significant. Physicians in both groups rated test format innovative (4.2 out of 5.0). CONCLUSION: The acceptable reliability and participants' overall positive experiences point to the value of ongoing research into rigorous Web-based communication skills assessment. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: With efficient and reliable scoring, the Web offers an important way to measure and potentially enhance physicians' communication skills.