In respect to the "up-to-date" aspect of the information, it is my 
understanding that the material remains updated only every three months, 
at the same rate as the standalone product. Unless the material is not 
uploaded into the standalone computers for extended periods of time, how 
exactly does paying more for an online product increase the currency of 
the information?
Thank you.

On 1/19/2011 12:22 PM, Julie Stielstra wrote:
> 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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>
>

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Director
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