Embedding Library Support into the Electronic Health Record: Key Considerations When Developing a New Service

Abstract

Health care providers frequently have complex clinical decision questions that go unanswered due to lack of time or database search skills. They also may face these constraints when attempting to provide individualized patient education information. Traditionally, health sciences libraries have utilized rounding to address clinical information needs, but a growing trend is to virtually embed librarians at the point of care through the electronic health record. These services enable providers to request evidence-based information support from the library while in the patient chart and without breaking clinic workflow. This article details one academic health sciences library’s experience with developing a new service embedded into the electronic health record. Focus interviews with providers, conversations with stakeholders, and external site visits to organizations with established services, informed a nuanced project proposal for a beta launch. Processes, findings, and considerations are shared to encourage and enable other health sciences libraries to develop similar services.