I appreciate your thoughtful response, and I am very glad to hear that UTD
has enlisted the input of medical librarians.  I truly hope it is the case
that their execs are starting to "get it" (took them long enough!) regarding
pricing.  I will believe they have gotten it when they offer their
collection of review articles to our standalone, non-teaching community
hospital with the remote access our physicians required for something less
than my *entire budget* for materials and databases.  Thank you for your
participation and your voice in these matters!!



On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 11:11 AM, Deborah Klein <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Dear colleagues - About two weeks ago there were a couple of postings
> about UTD discontinuing their standalone product at the end of the year.
> This message is in response.
>
>
>
> I am one of the half dozen medical/health sciences librarians recruited
> last year by UpToDate for their Librarian Advisory Board.  I feel we
> represent very nicely the range of institutions that license UTD across
> the US and even Europe.  We hold virtual meetings each quarter with the
> UTD executive team and are in additional contact with them and with each
> other as questions and issues arise.  We are not a shy group - everyone
> is actually quite outspoken in these discussions, and when we think UTD
> is on the wrong track we say so loudly and clearly.  Speaking for
> myself, I agreed to join the Advisory Board because I believe in the
> value of UTD as a resource and want to help improve it; however, my
> first allegiance is (and always will be) to my patrons, the hospital
> that employs me, and my fellow medical librarians.  I think it is fair
> to say that over the past year the UTD executive team has listened with
> an open mind and learned a lot from us about how medical librarians view
> the world, how we do our jobs, and why we are important players on the
> healthcare e-resource scene.  They have heard from us in the strongest
> terms that our biggest issues with their product and their company are
> the pricing model, the need for remote access, the question of what
> makes their product "evidence-based", and their past treatment of us
> librarians.   I honestly feel that the UTD executive team now "gets it"
> and is working hard to make amends and find solutions that will be
> acceptable to all sides.
>
>
>
> It happens that this quarter's Advisory Board virtual meeting took place
> on January 5, and one topic was the discontinuation of the standalone
> product.   The UTD folks told us this is being done out of concern for
> patient safety due to the risk of outdated information on the DVDs.  To
> me and the other Advisory Board librarians this makes complete sense.
> Here is what the UTD website says under Editorial Policies:  "Bulk
> updating occurs on our website every four months. However, any updates
> that are deemed particularly important by our authors and editors (i.e.,
> those that may change practice, drug alerts, etc.) are uploaded
> immediately upon completion of peer review. These updates, in addition
> to appearing in a traditional UpToDate topic, are highlighted in our
> What's New section and in a topic called Practice Changing UpDates."
> Obviously, even if the standalone DVD is dutifully replaced the very
> minute a new one arrives, there is no way the DVD product can remain
> current for the next four months with regard to practice changing
> updates and drug alerts.  And the danger is even greater if older
> versions of the DVD are kept in use.
>
>
>
> My own library subscribed for years to the standalone product because
> that's all we could afford, so I really do appreciate the predicament
> some libraries will find themselves in when the DVD is discontinued.
> But in these litigious times, with all of the JCAHO and government
> emphasis on patient safety, I personally would be afraid to provide my
> patrons with a version of UpToDate that's not really up to date, and I
> feel that the company is absolutely right to worry about the same thing.
> Of course all of our resources run the risk of providing outdated
> information, but the issue is especially serious with UTD for two
> reasons - the company's stated commitment to being current,
> authoritative, and evidence-based, and the product's reputation among
> clinicians for the same qualities.  Even if we don't say so, our patrons
> know that monographs, including those with recent copyright dates, may
> have some outdated information, and likewise they pay attention to the
> publication dates of journal articles.  But with UpToDate and similar
> e-resources, I think there is a widespread assumption that the
> information provided is current and completely reliable.
>
>
>
> The UTD website is worth a thoughtful review even if you don't
> subscribe.  The "About UpToDate" section explains in depth their
> editorial and other policies, including the basis for their claim to
> being "evidence-based".   Since this issue remains a sticking point for
> many of us, I feel we have a professional responsibility to read what
> the company says here before passing judgment.
>
>
>
> I hope I have not gone on too long.  I thought I was going to write a
> brief message about the discontinuation of the DVD product but found I
> had a lot more to say, so thanks for reading to the end!
>
>
>
> Deborah
>
>
>
> *********************************************
>
> Deborah Klein, MSLS, AHIP
>
> Medical Librarian
>
> Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
>
> 1798 N. Garey Ave.
>
> Pomona, CA 91767
>
>
>
> (909) 865-9878 voice
>
> (909) 865-9770 fax
>
> [log in to unmask] <blocked::mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> [log in to unmask] <blocked::mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> LIBID: caupoo
>
> *********************************************
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Julie Stielstra, MLS
Manager, Knowledge Resource Library
Central DuPage Hospital
25 N Winfield Rd
Winfield, IL 60190
phone 630-933-4536
fax     630-933-4530
email jstielstra [ at ]  gmail.com

"Never...be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. Avoid those
three vices...and I can always be hopeful of you."  -- Betsy Trotwood to
David Copperfield (Charles Dickens)