Siegel E R, Rapp B A, Lindberg D A
National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland.
Proc Annu Symp Comput Appl Med Care. 1991:83-7.
An adaptation of the Critical Incident Technique for the evaluation of an online information system is described. 552 users of the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database, interviewed by telephone and responding to a highly structured set of open-ended questions, reported 1,158 incidents in which the results of a MEDLINE search was especially helpful (or not helpful) in carrying out professional activities. Systematic analysis of these "critical incidents" produced three comprehensive and detailed views of the purposes and outcomes of MEDLINE searches: (1) why information is sought from MEDLINE; (2) the impact of MEDLINE-derived information on medical decision-making; and (3) the ultimate outcome of having (or not having) the desired information on medical situations prompting a MEDLINE search. Results revealed that MEDLINE is used to satisfy a diversity of medical needs concerning patient care, the progress of biomedical research, the quality of education received by health professionals in training, the safety and effectiveness of health care institutions, the operation of the system of third-party reimbursement, for legal decisions, and for the knowledge of the public.
本文描述了一种用于评估在线信息系统的关键事件技术的改编方法。通过电话采访了552名国立医学图书馆MEDLINE数据库的用户，他们回答了一系列高度结构化的开放式问题，报告了1158起事件，其中MEDLINE搜索结果在开展专业活动时特别有帮助（或没有帮助）。对这些“关键事件”的系统分析产生了关于MEDLINE搜索目的和结果的三种全面而详细的观点：（1）为何从MEDLINE寻求信息；（2）MEDLINE衍生信息对医疗决策的影响；（3）拥有（或没有）引发MEDLINE搜索的医疗情况所需信息的最终结果。结果显示，MEDLINE被用于满足与患者护理、生物医学研究进展、接受培训的卫生专业人员所接受教育的质量、医疗机构的安全性和有效性、第三方报销系统的运作、法律决策以及公众知识相关的各种医疗需求。
