Medical Library to Continue DynaMed Plus

 

The medical library, with input from many faculty, staff, and students, has chosen to continue DynaMed Plus and discontinue UpToDate, effective July 1, 2016. We greatly appreciate our Quillen and ETSU community who participated in discussions of this decision throughout the past fiscal year.

DynaMed Plus logo

Ways we worked for community engagement in this decision included:

  • discussion with the Learning Resources Advisory Council which advises the library;
  • presentations to course/clerkship directors and medical students;
  • a display in the library lobby identifying why we need to make this choice, comparing pricing and evidence, and soliciting feedback;
  • an online survey soliciting input posted for several weeks and publicized on the library news feed, social media, and email
  • numerous ad hoc conversations throughout the year as librarians held trainings, meetings, etc.

Factors contributing to our decision included:

  • expert medical librarian review of the products
  • Quillen/ETSU community input
  • provision of UpToDate by JCMC to affiliated faculty and residents
  • cost of each product, including typical annual rates of increase
  • inclusion of remote access in the base price
  • the presentation of information
  • the currency and accuracy of information
  • transparency of methods used to generate evidence
  • ease of use

Ultimately, we found that the perceived benefits of UpToDate did not offset the drawbacks, particularly the significant and rapidly rising cost of the product. Those faculty and residents affiliated with JCMC can still get UpToDate (including remote access) through that facility. Individuals can also purchase their own UpToDate subscriptions.

We understand that not everyone will be happy with this decision; feel free to contact Associate Dean Rachel Walden if you have questions, or have feedback about DynaMed Plus youd like passed along to the developers (e.g., if you recommend more content in specific areas, improvements to search functions, etc.).

For individual or group training on effective use of DynaMed Plus, including remote and smartphone access, please contact the library via medref@etsu.edu

If you are interested in textbook-type long form materials on any topic, consider any of these online textbook collections provided by the Medical Library:

  • Access Medicine titles such as Principles of Human Physiology, the 2015 Red Book, Merritts Neurology, the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, and the Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics.
  • Clinical Key hundreds of online texts, with books such as Ferris Clinical Advisor, the Harriet Lane Handbook, High Risk Pregnancy, Netters Clinical Anatomy, Brenner and Rectors The Kidney, and others covering numerous specialties.
  • R2 Digital Library examples include Berkowitzs Pediatrics, the Fenway Guide to LGBT Health, Kaplan's Clinical Hypertension, the Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, Medical Spanish
  • StatRef examples include 5 Minute Clinical Consult, Greenfields Surgery, Holland Frei Cancer Medicine, Merritts Neurology, Taylors Manual of Family Medicine, Wintrobes Clinical Hematology
  • Thieme includes numerous Color Atlas of titles

There are many hundred more online medical books available in addition to the specific titles listed here. Please contact the library for assistance finding the right titles to meet your teaching, clinical, or studying needs.

Thank you to the many individuals who shared their feedback during this process. It is important to us to have community engagement around major decisions such as this, and we appreciate your time.  

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