1. Integrating Evidence into Practice
Paramedics
Annette O’Brien 5444 7452/7451
Paramedics
La Trobe University Library
a.obrien@latrobe.edu.au
Phone

2. At the end of this session…
• Able to identify useful library resources for
conducting research and know how to access them
• Acquire techniques for efficiently using these
resources
• Recognize the importance of a well developed
research question
• Develop a PICO template.

3. Databases
Accessing Health Sciences’ Databases
• On Campus –
– Library Web Page http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/
• A-Z Databases/Journals
– Health Sciences
» Paramedics
• Off Campus – authentication as a LaTrobe university
student required: University username and password

4. Evidence-Based Practice in Health Sciences Library
Guide http://latrobe.libguides.com/ebp

5. Locate a journal article
• Boyle, M., Koritsas, S., Coles, J., &
Stanley, J. (2007). A pilot study of
workplace violence towards paramedics.
Emergency Medicine Journal, 24(11),
760-763. doi: 10.1136/emj.2007.046789

6. Journal not held at La Trobe?
• If the article is important for your research, and you
have time to wait for it to come – register for, and
submit an Document Delivery request via the
library home page.
https://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/document-delivery/

7. Why can’t I just google?
• Lib guide
http://latrobe.libguides.com/google
• Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N39mnu1Pk

8. PICO
• Before you begin your search, you will need to
develop a clear search strategy. PICO will help
you to create a concept map to base your
search on in your selected databases.
• Population; Intervention; Comparative
Intervention (optional); Outcomes
• http://latrobe.libguides.com/healthdatabases

9. Sample PICO Question
“Does out of hospital defibrillation
improve the survival rate of heart
attack victims?”

10. PICO Example of question
P
Heart attack
Or cardiac arrest
I
Out of hospital
defibrillation
Ventricular
fibrillation
OHCA
C
No defibrillation
O
Greater chance of
survival
ROSC

11. Library Webpage

13. ProQuest
Central
ProQuest Central
is the largest
aggregated fulltext database in
the market today
totaling more
than 13970 titles
- with over 10910
titles in full-text.
http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/

14. CINAHL
CINAHL®, the
Cumulative Index to
Nursing and Allied
Health Literature, is the
most comprehensive
resource for nursing and
allied health literature.
Includes nursing and
allied health articles from
worldwide, scientific
literature presented for
the needs of health
professionals.
http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/

15. Medline
(OVID)
Medline is the U.S. National
Library of Medicine's
bibliographic database that
contains over 18 million
references to journal
articles in life sciences
focussing on biomedicine.
A useful feature of Medline
is that the records are
indexed with medical
subject headings making it
a great database to use for
complex research
questions.
http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/

16. Clinical
Evidence
Clinical Evidence is a
continually updated
international source of
available evidence on the
effects of common clinical
interventions.
It summarises the current
state of knowledge and
uncertainty about the
prevention and treatment of
clinical conditions, based
on searches and the
appraisal of literature.
http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/

17. The Cochrane
Library
National access to the
Cochrane Library is
funded by the Australian
Government.
The Cochrane Library
brings together research
which looks at the
effectiveness of different
health care treatments
and interventions.
http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/

18. Google Scholar
• Save preferences.

19. Increasing and decreasing your
results
For less hits:
For more hits:
• Broaden your question
• Find more search terms
e.g.. Feet and diabetes
• Search longer time span
•
•
•
•
Narrow your question
Use specific terms
Use database “limits”
Search shorter time span

20. Questions?

21. Thank you and Good Luck!
Annette O’Brien (Nettie)
For any research questions you can contact me directly on
a.obrien@latrobe.edu.au or 5444 7452 or 5444 7451
OR
Come and see us at the library research desk
OR
• Chat hours are 11:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday during
semester - Chat online with a librarian to answer any of your
research questions. http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/chat/
You can still ask a Librarian a question outside of these hours. You
will receive a response via email.