CENTRAL FLORIDA MEDICAL IMFORMATION OUTREACH PROJECT

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (adapted from the Abstract): The Watson Clinic Library Outreach Project is designed to improve excellence in patient care and quality medical services by providing immediate access to medical information at the point of patient care. The Project will provide increased access to current information by providing computer hardware and software in order to electronically connect health care professionals, through Internet access, to the National Library of Medicine?s PubMed, to colleagues by electronic mail and audiovisual teleconferencing, and to electronic textbook resources. The Project proposes to upgrade the Watson Clinic Internet connection, develop the Watson Clinic Outreach Page, provide journal article reprints, and train the health care professionals to use the new electronic information technologies at twelve patient care sites in Central Florida. The patient care sites include six sites affiliated with the Watson Clinic and six unaffiliated, charitable outreach project sites. The Watson Clinic Library Outreach Project will serve as a model of a non-academic library delivering health care information resources to remote locations. It is anticipated that the connection will improve patient care, diminish the sense of isolation, and help retain personnel in areas remote from large medical centers.