***cross-posted; feel free to repost***

Hi, everyone.  I just found a good example why it’s important to scroll down through the entire MeSH record to look at all the Trees.  My patron was looking for articles on affordable insurance plans by socioeconomic groups.  When looking at the MeSH, Socioeconomic Factors, the second Tree lists the MeSH, Medical Indigency, which is a nifty term that my patron will like.  After I confer with her, I bet this is the real term she wanted.  Just thought this might be a good teaching example to share why it’s important to look at the entire record. 

Also, if one searches the MeSH Database with digital rectal exam, it won’t map to anything and the suggestions aren’t relevant.  Users have to type digital rectal examination.  I remind my patrons if a term doesn’t map, think of other ways to write it: one word, two words, hyphenated or non, singular or plural.

Take care,

Tanya

Tanya Feddern-Bekcan, MLIS, AHIP, MOT, OTR/L
(http://www.reocities.com/nqiya/libraryarticles.html) formerly Tanya Feddern
305.243.3999 - [log in to unmask] - 305.325.9670 (fax)

EBM Theme Director, Head of Education, & Occupational Therapist 

Department of Health Informatics, Louis Calder Memorial Library at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

They do random drug checks; why don’t they do random hand swabs to see which unhygienic healthcare providers are killing their patients by spreading deadly infection? 

"A library without a librarian is a reading room."-- Jenny Garcia of the University of Wyoming, MLS, AHIP