Evidence searches for answering questions from patients.
The suggested time to allocate to this search is 3 to 6 hours.
Planning
Ask the requester exactly what is needed and what level is needed (for example, high end evidence or basic information). The requester may need to manage their patient’s expectations.
If it is appropriate for your role as a patient information specialist, and/or with their clinician's consent, speak to the patient to discuss what they would like.
Make sure that the patient understands that you are not a medical professional: information that you give them is not medical advice. Questions and clarification must come from their clinician, your requester.
Use a disclaimer. Sarah Mathieson, Specialist Patient Outreach Librarian at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, uses the following.
Important:
Disclaimer
Royal Papworth Hospital’s library staff are trained information professionals who conduct high quality, professional searches for health-related information. The information given to patients by library staff is based on these searches and intended for informational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals.
If patients have any questions relating to information provided by the Library and Knowledge Services, they should ask a healthcare professional.
Always seek the advice of your doctor when making any healthcare choice.
You should also identify any specific needs the patient has.
- Do they need EasyRead text?
- Would they prefer audio/film?
- Do they need it translated into a different language?
- Is the information for them, or for someone they are looking after?
Execution
You should gather basic information.
- What is available from your organisation already?
- Is there a patient leaflet/guideline that you can share?
- Has your organisation produced any films that are useful?
- Are there any external leaflets that your organisation has bought (for example, the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ or EIDO Healthcare’s patient information materials) that you can share?
You shoulr try the below sources.
Google
Look for other basic information available on the internet through Google. For good general descriptions of a condition or procedure try the NHS or Patient websites.
Search NHS Trusts’ websites with an advanced Google search and include “NHS Trust” in your search terms and/or use geographic limits and/or limit to sites with “…nhs.uk” URLs. A Bing search can bring useful videos to light.
Check through Google and local public library catalogues, if there are any recently published books or ebooks on the topic you are searching that patients could borrow or buy.
Charity websites
Look at reputable charity and voluntary organisations. These are excellent sources of well-written information, and often include first-hand experiences/advice/support for the patient community. This includes Healthtalk.
Royal College's websites
Look at Royal Colleges and academies - like the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) or Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) - and professional societies. They are useful for their detailed, evidence-based patient information.
They often include links to other sources of information and support too.
Clinical decision support tools
Look at clinical decision support tools including the following.
- UpToDate’s entries may contain “Basics” and “Beyond the Basics” patient information.
- British Medical Journal (BMJ) Best Practice entries may contain patient leaflets under the “Resources” tab.
- ClinicalKey contains “patient education” sections for sharing.
Bibliographic databases
Search bibliographic databases. Do any of the results provide evidence or information that is pitched at the right level and is useful?
Social media
Look at social media. Is there a YouTube channel associated with a particular charity or organisation with videos of treatments, procedures, other patients?
Do these organisations have a Facebook page or Twitter/X feed with regular updates about developments, stories in the news, opportunities to meet other people?
Are there online forums that offer the opportunity to talk to others, share experiences, offer advice and comfort? For example, HealthUnlocked.
Make sure to only include trustworthy sources. GOV.UK’s sharing checklist can help you assess the validity of the information sourced on social media.
Results
Do not share results with the patient without first sharing with the requesting clinician (usually by email), with a brief explanation of why they have been chosen. This can be forwarded onto the patient.
Make sure that results are all open access and easy for patient to find. Do not assume they are proficient at internet searching. Offer to help the patient with this if needed and if appropriate to your role - this could be an opportunity to improve their digital and health literacy skills.
If appropriate, signpost the patient to LearnMyWay that will help them find health information online for themselves once they leave hospital.
Examples
Example 1
Request received in-person from a member of staff at a library induction session
Dear…
Good to see you at the training session today. As promised, please find below some useful links to help with your inquisitive patient’s query on: “different types of cancer and their treatment (including drugs and their side effects)”.
Our staff have access to the clinical decision support tools Dynamed, UpToDate, and BMJ Best Practice too, these all contain extensive entries on each individual type of cancer, and its current treatments (including side effects of drugs).
Each of these entries has an “information for patients” (section you can send-on or adapt for your patient. UpToDate has two tiers of information for patients so you could forward them the basic or expert information as you prefer.
You can access Dynamed and UpToDate from Barts Health Trust PCs without logging-in, via the intranet homepage: if you scroll to the bottom of the page there is a carousel of links, scroll it to the right and you will see the links to Dynamed and UpToDate. If you’re not on a Trust-network PC then you will need to log-in using your NHS Athens username and password to access these tools. You can register for an NHS Athens account here (just make sure you give your nhs.net email address).
Knowledge and Library Services also provides a LibGuide on Cancer: a webpage we’ve created that gathers up all the resources we have on cancer. You’ll need an NHS Athens account to access most of these (let me know if you have any problems accessing this or anything else). This links out to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s national guidelines on the treatment of cancer, as well as charities and other organisations for specific types of cancer, all rich in resources and information for patients.
Hope this helps, get in touch if you’d like more information and I’ll be happy to help.
Page last reviewed: 7 August 2023
Next review due: 7 August 2024