Technology Updates: EndNote X3, DynaMed, MedlinePlus, NIH RePORTer

EndNote X3 Now Available

UVM has made EndNote X3 available through their secure software download site. Enter your UVM NetID to be directed to a list of software available to you. Find EndNote X3 on the list and follow the directions.

New Features

• Improved full-text downloading
• EndNote Web account automatically included, with improved navigation and compatibility with Firefox 3.5
• APA 6th edition style included

Need assistance?

• EndNote classes at Dana
• EndNote classes at Bailey-Howe
• EndNote Resource Guide
• Angie Chapple-Sokol, 656-9396
• Laura Haines, 656-4143

DynaMed for iPhone

DynaMed, an evidence-based, point-of-care decision support tool similar to UpToDate but available remotely, can also be used on your iPhone. You must be affiliated with UVM or FAHC in order to use this service.

In order to put DynaMed on your iPod Touch or iPhone, you must first download Skyscape, a free app for the iPhone and iPod Touch from the App Store. Once in the Skyscape app, choose the Tools menu, then Install Resource.

You must now enter a serial number for DynaMed in the Skyscape Serial Number field. (Even though the name of the field is Skyscape Serial Number, you should enter a serial number for Dynamed.) Each user will have to obtain a unique serial number.  In order to get the serial number for DynaMed, send an email to dynamedsupport@ebscohost.com requesting a DynaMed serial number. You must send the email from your UVM or VTMEDNET email account when requesting a serial number.  Explain that you would like a serial number to be able to use DynaMed on an iPhone or iPod Touch.

After you have entered that number in the Skyscape Serial Number field, click Continue and Skyscape will download DynaMed data and make it available to you from your home screen.

Skyscape also offers several free medical resources such as Archimedes Medical Calculator, Outlines in Clinical Medicine and RxDrugs Dosing Companion.

DynaMed can be used on other hand held devices such as Blackberries, Palm Pilots or Pocket PCs. Visit DynaMed at http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/technical.php for further instructions. Again, you will need to obtain a serial number to use these features.

If you have any questions, please contact the Reference Desk at danaref@uvm.edu or 656-2201.

MedlinePlus Goes Mobile

MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) health information database for the community, now has a mobile version (http://m.medlineplus.gov) that allows you to easily access this popular resource on an iPhone,

Blackberry or other hand held device, anytime, anywhere. For more information, see the NLM’s FAQ that includes set up instructions.

NIH RePORTer Replaces CRISP Database

The NIH RePORTer (Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools) can be used to locate reports, data, and analyses of NIH Research Projects. The RePORTer website describes the tool:

To provide NIH stakeholders with quick and easy access to basic information on NIH programs, the NIH has created a single repository of reports, data and analyses, along with several tools for searching this database. A common classification scheme based on the traditional NIH budget categories is used to group similar reports. Several different filters can be applied to find information specific to a particular NIH Institute or Center, funding mechanism or topic of interest.

For more information about how to search this comprehensive database, see the FAQ section.

Vermont Health Services Website To Be Discontinued

The National Library of Medicine will no longer support it’s Go Local projects. Without the support of NLM, the Dana Library has decided to discontinue Vermont Go Local by April 30. The goal of Vermont Go Local was to link health topics from the MedlinePlus consumer health database to Vermont health care providers and facilities. Vermont Go Local began in 2007 as a joint project of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), University of Vermont Dana Medical Library, the FAHC Frymoyer Community Health Resource Center, and the United Ways of Vermont, Vermont 2-1-1.

Since the project’s inception in 2001, NLM monitored and reviewed consumer usage and noticed a gradual decline over the years, probably due to the availability of similar information on the Internet.

We plan to add other resources to our library website that will provide important consumer health information.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause to users of the VT Go Local website.

Healthy Web Surfing from MedlinePlus

Whether you are a health care practitioner who wants to help your patients find higher quality information on their own, or you just want to be more discerning in your own search for health information, look no further. MedlinePlus has developed a Guide to Healthy Web Surfing:

Consider the source—Use recognized authorities

Know who is responsible for the content.

• Look for an “about us” page. Check to see who runs the site: is it a branch of the Federal Government, a non-profit institution, a professional organization, a health system, a commercial organization or an individual.

• There is a big difference between a site that says, “I developed this site after my heart attack” and one that says, “This page on heart attack was developed by health professionals at the American Heart Association.”

• Web sites should have a way to contact the organization or webmaster. If the site provides no contact information, or if you can’t easily find out who runs the site, use caution.

Focus on quality—All Web sites are not created equal

Does the site have an editorial board? Is the information reviewed before it is posted?

• This information is often on the “about us” page, or it may be under the organization’s mission statement, or part of the annual report.

• See if the board members are experts in the subject of the site. For example, a site on osteoporosis whose medical advisory board is composed of attorneys and accountants is not medically authoritative.

• Look for a description of the process of selecting or approving information on the site. It is usually in the “about us” section and may be called “editorial policy” or “selection policy” or “review policy.”

• Sometimes the site will have information “about our writers” or “about our authors” instead of an editorial policy. Review this section to find out who has written the information.

Be a cyberskeptic—Quackery abounds on the Web

Does the site make health claims that seem too good to be true? Does the information use deliberately obscure, “scientific” sounding language? Does it promise quick, dramatic, miraculous results? Is this the only site making these claims?

• Beware of claims that one remedy will cure a variety of illnesses, that it is a “breakthrough,” or that it relies on a “secret ingredient.”

• Use caution if the site uses a sensational writing style (lots of exclamation points, for example.)

• A health Web site for consumers should use simple language, not technical jargon.

• Get a second opinion! Check more than one site.

Look for the evidence—Rely on medical research, not opinion

Does the site identify the author? Does it rely on testimonials?

• Look for the author of the information, either an individual or an organization. Good examples are “Written by Jane Smith, R.N.,” or “Copyright 2003, American Cancer Society.”

• If there are case histories or testimonials on the Web site, look for contact information such as an email address or telephone number. If the testimonials are anonymous or hard to track down (“Jane from California”), use caution.

Check for currency—Look for the latest information

Is the information current?

• Look for dates on documents. A document on coping with the loss of a loved one doesn’t need to be current, but a document on the latest treatment of AIDS needs to be current.

• Click on a few links on the site. If there are a lot of broken links, the site may not be kept up-to-date.

Beware of bias—What is the purpose? Who is providing the funding?

Who pays for the site?

• Check to see if the site is supported by public funds, donations or by commercial advertising.

• Advertisements should be labeled. They should say “Advertisement” or “From our Sponsor.”

• Look at a page on the site, and see if it is clear when content is coming from a non-commercial source and when an advertiser provides it. For example, if a page about treatment of depression recommends one drug by name, see if you can tell if the company that manufactures the drug provides that information. If it does, you should consult other sources to see what they say about the same drug.

Protect your privacy—Health information should be confidential

Does the site have a privacy policy and tell you what information they collect?

• There should be a link saying “Privacy” or “Privacy Policy.” Read the privacy policy to see if your privacy is really being protected. For example, if the site says “We share information with companies that can provide you with useful products,” then your information isn’t private.

• If there is a registration form, notice what types of questions you must answer before you can view content. If you must provide personal information (such as name, address, date of birth, gender, mother’s maiden name, credit card number) you should refer to their privacy policy to see what they can do with your information.

Consult with your health professional–Patient/provider partnerships lead to the best medical decisions.

These tips provided by MedlinePlus at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthywebsurfing.html.