University Libraries

VisualDx visual diagnostic decision support system links health care professionals to superior-quality medical images and information.  The University of Iowa Libraries subscribes to VisualDX, and it can be accessed on campus, with an iPhone/iPad/iTouch or now with a Droid phone.

The download and instructions for installing the Droid version are available online (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.visualdx.android/).

If you need help installing VisualDX on your smartphone, we have drop in hours on Fridays from 10am-3pm.

The resource, Cyber Anatomy, has been a hot topic of discussion lately. Some of you may have seen the YouTube Video showing students using the 3-D version, or you may have heard the online version being discussed during this year’s State of Carver College of Medicine Address.  If you have not heard about it, Cyber Anatomy is a resource that allows one to view anatomical structures in a 3-D format. The images can be rotated, peeled and otherwise manipulated.  Recently, both Harvard Medical School and Cornell have started using the 3D adaption, but it was at Hardin Library for the Health Sciences first.

Hardin Library currently provides access to both the online version and the 3D version on Cyber Anatomy.  To access the online version, you only need a computer that is hooked up the internet and a HawkID and password.   You can access the software by going to the Hardin Library website and clicking on the link for “Health Sciences Resources A-Z.” You will need administrative rights to the computer so that a 3DVIA player plug in can be installed. 

If you are interested in a more immersive experience, we have the 3D version of Cyber Anatomy in the Hardin Library Simulation Center.  You will need to reserve Cyber anatomy ahead of time.

If you have any questions about this software or the Hardin Simulation Center, please contact Amy Blevins, Clinical Education Librarian.

There have been quite a few changes to the CINAHL (Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) database during the past few weeks.  In addition to reference to articles from the nursing and allied health literature, CINAHL also includes references to book chapters, research instruments, evidence-based care sheets, and drug reports.  

So what has changed?

• Interface has been redesigned, resulting in a different look and feel.
• Many search and display tools have simply been relocated. For example, most of the features that would be used to review and limit results are now located on the left side of the page.
• Directly over the search box there is a box that says suggest subject terms.  This box is now already selected, taking you directly to a list of best matched subject headings for the term entered. If you do not want to perform a subject heading search, this box will need to be deselected.   However, it is always a good idea to let CINAHL look for subject headings.
• There are several changes that will affect those who search by subject heading. When performing a search by concept, or subject heading,  a list will display terms which are related to the term entered. Available from this screen are the following features:
  • A checkbox to select explode.  Exploding causes the narrower, related terms indented under your term to be included in your search.   If you don’t see the narrower terms, click on your term to make them appear.  When this option is unavailable for your term, the check box will be inactive, or greyed out.
  • A new icon for scope notes.  If a definition (scope note) is available, an icon will appear to the right of the term.
  • A checkbox in front of the term which allows you to select the term for your search and to see (and select) that term’s subheadings.  Checking this box causes the subheadings to appear to the right of the screen.
  • A checkbox to designate that your term should be a “major concept.”  This designation will only locate articles that are chiefly about the concept that you have selected.
  • Selected subject headings displayed in a box on the right side of the page.  Subject headings can be combined and searched directly from this box, or may be searched one at a time, and combined later from the Search History (still available on CINAHL’s main page).

To view the vendor’s information about these changes which includes more detail about these and upcoming changes, select new features from within CINAHL, on the top right side of navigation bar.

Please contact the Hardin Library Reference desk if you would be interested in arranging  individual or group instruction on this resource.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is in progress of redesigning the National Guideline Clearinghouse site (NGC). NGC is a collection of clinical practice guidelines aimed at improving information access for promotion of policy development and health care quality.   

 A few highlights of the changes are as follows:

• Access to a growing collection of expert commentaries.  These may offer reviews of  EBM topics, issues related to guideline development, or critiques of guidelines.
• Access to annotated bibliographies. You can search over 5000 citations for information about guidelines, and access the  journal citations easily by using PubMed links provided.
• Significant improvement in guideline summary display.
• Improved organization, visual appeal, and access to content previously available.

 Check out the site here (no change in URL):  http://www.guideline.gov/ There will be more changes coming!

HCUPNet is produced by the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) and contains estimates of hospital and emergency department use based on data from over 1000 hospitals involved in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization project.

With HCUPNet you can find information on trends, the most common diagnoses and procedures, or pick specific diagnoses or procedures from a set of lists. You can retrieve information on the number of discharges, length of stay, mortality, and costs. You can limit by patient age, gender, insurance status, patient zip code, as well as hospital characteristics. The results can be viewed in the browser or exported to Excel.

HCUPNet is one of the most flexible and easy to use tools for finding information on hospital and emergency department utilization.