er - it's MMR, not MRR - a case of not high quality information?
Charles
Professor Charles Oppenheim
Department of Information Science
Loughborough University
Loughborough
Leics LE11 3TU
01509-223065
(fax) 01509-223053
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Buckley Owen" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 4:28 PM
Subject: MRR ROW HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF HIGH QUALITY INFORMATION
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
7 Ridgmount St, London WC1E 7AE.
Tel: 020 7255 0500 Textphone: 020 7255 0505 Fax: 020 7255 0501 E-mail:
[log in to unmask]
News from CILIP
Tuesday 24 February 2004
For immediate release (Please copy to online discussion lists)
MRR ROW HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF HIGH QUALITY INFORMATION
"Lessons to be learned," says CILIP's Health Libraries Group
Recent allegations of a conflict of interest in the study linking the Mumps,
Measles & Rubella vaccine to an increased risk of autism and bowel disease
raise important issues about the need for high quality information in
clinical practice, says the Health Libraries Group of CILIP: the Chartered
Institute of Library and Information Professionals.
"Whatever the final outcome of the allegations, this affair demonstrates
vividly how dependent both the medical profession and the public are on
reliable, verifiable information that is efficiently managed and can be
retrieved when required," says Tony McSeán, Librarian of the British Medical
Association and CILIP's Health Libraries Group Councillor.
"The Lancet's commitment to the highest scientific standards, and the speed
with which Dr Horton made the issues public, have underlined the scientific
community's commitment to the highest standards of scruitiny," Mr McSeán
continues. "Health librarians across the UK are working constantly to ensure
that doctors and nurses have access to the latest and best evidence, so
patients receive the best possible treatment."
With over 2,000 members, the Group is the largest special interest group in
the health information field in the UK. Its members work in the National
Health Service, voluntary organisations, public libraries, universities,
colleges and industry, providing information not only to medical staff but
also to researchers, carers, parents and children.
"It's no exaggeration to say that information is crucial to medicine," Mr
McSeán concludes. "Growing recognition of the importance of evidence-based
medicine meant that medical information was among the first ever to be made
available online, over 30 years ago. The volume of available information
has multiplied incalculably since then, and the risk of information being
missed or connections not being made increases in proportion. The need for
information professionals to manage this vast and expanding store is
paramount."
Contact: Tim Buckley Owen, Head of External Relations.
Tel: 020 7255 0652. Email: [log in to unmask]
Notes to Editors
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is
the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and
knowledge managers, with around 22,000 members working in all sectors,
including business and industry, science and technology, further and higher
education, schools, local and central government, the health service, the
voluntary sector, national and public libraries. For more information about
CILIP, please go to www.cilip.org.uk.
CILIP's Health Libraries Group unites all those working or interested in
libraries and information services for medical, nursing and other allied
health professions, for people with disabilities and health problems, for
those who are housebound or in residential care, and for carers and patients
in hospital. It has two subject groups - Information for the Management of
Healthcare (IFMH) and Libraries for Nursing (LfN). The Group also has
representation on other bodies and maintains links with organisations which
have similar interests. For further information, please visit
www.cilip.org.uk/groups/hlg/index.html.
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