Information Services

Rapid Response: Librarian Integration Into An Expedited Pandemic Medicine Elective

Author(s)

Gail Kouame

Assistant Director for Research & Education Services
Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library
Augusta, Georgia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Jacob Gallay

Clinical Information Librarian
Robert B. Greenblatt, MD Library
Augusta, Georgia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Background: Describing how two librarians contributed to a new graduate medical school elective course developed dynamically in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Description: Shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak, the Assistant Director for Research & Education Services attended a clerkship curriculum committee meeting for the medical college where a four-week Pandemic Medicine elective was proposed. Clerkship rotations were canceled due to the pandemic, so the elective would provide opportunities for graduate medical students to participate in service learning and contribute to pandemic response efforts. The leaders and faculty members who proposed the elective suggested five areas of focus: information services; mental health and wellness; PPE taskforce; supporting medical education; and telemedicine. Immediately after the meeting the librarian contacted those organizing the elective and offered to contribute, particularly to the information services component. Both the Assistant Director for Research & Education Services and the Clinical Information Librarian were invited to serve as faculty advisors for the students leading the information services aspects of the elective.

Conclusion: The librarians attended weekly planning meetings with the information services group leaders, compiled lists of trustworthy resources for the students to consult, and performed literature searches. Within the information services area, the students chose to create relevant infographics in multiple languages, produce “mythbusters” information about COVID-19, develop a knowledge base from the literature using Zotero, and post a portal website. The website houses all the student-created content, along with local and national statistics about COVID-19. The website received recognition in the local press and university communication channels. Librarians were successfully integrated into a medical school elective course developed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.