Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Resources

Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Resources

The Role of the National Library of Medicine

  • Author: Kipen, Howard M.; Fulco, Carolyn E.; Ingalls, Carrie E.; Liverman, Catharyn T.
  • Publisher: National Academies Press
  • ISBN: 9780309056861
  • eISBN Pdf: 9780309590136
  • eISBN Epub: 9780309175012
  • Place of publication:  United States
  • Year of digital publication: 1997
  • Month: February
  • Pages: 173
  • Language: English

The environment is increasingly recognized as having a powerful effect on human and ecological health, as well as on specific types of human morbidity, mortality, and disability. While the public relies heavily on federal and state regulatory agencies for protection from exposures to hazardous substances, it often looks to health professionals for information about routes of exposure and the nature and extent of associated adverse health consequences. However, most health professionals acquire only a minimal knowledge of toxicology during their education and training.

In 1967 the National Library of Medicine (NLM) created an information resource, known today as the Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program (TEHIP). In 1995 the NLM asked the Institute of Medicine to examine the accessiblity and utility of the TEHIP databases for the work of health professionals.

This resulting volume contains chapters on TEHIP and other toxicology and environmental health databases, on understanding the toxicology and environmental health information needs of health professionals, on increasing awareness of information resources through training and outreach, on accessing and navigating the TEHIP databases, and on program issues and future directions.

  • Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Resources
  • Copyright
  • Preface
  • Contents
  • Tables, Figures, And Boxes
  • Executive Summary
    • CONTEXT OF THE REPORT
    • NLM'S TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION PROGRAM
    • OTHER INFORMATION RESOURCES
    • UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
    • INCREASING AWARENESS: TRAINING AND OUTREACH
    • ACCESSING AND NAVIGATING THE TEHIP DATABASES
    • PROGRAM ISSUES
    • FUTURE DIRECTIONS
  • 1 Introduction
    • HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER USER COMMUNITIES
    • PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
    • CHANGING TRENDS IN HEALTH PRACTICE
    • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
    • REFERENCES
  • 2 The National Library of Medicine's Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program
    • NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
      • Organization and Funding
    • MEDLARS
    • DIVISION OF SPECIALIZED INFORMATION SERVICES
    • TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION PROGRAM
      • Mission and History
      • Funding
    • TEHIP DATABASES
    • TEHIP FACTUAL DATABASES
      • ChemID and CHEMLINE
        • Organization and Content
      • Hazardous Substances Data Bank
        • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
      • Chemical Carcinogenesis Research Information System
        • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
    • GENE-TOX
      • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
      • Integrated Risk Information System
        • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
      • Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances
        • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
      • Toxic Chemical Release Inventory
        • Organization and Content
    • TRIFACTS
      • Organization and Content
      • Directory Of Information Resources Online
        • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
    • TEHIP BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES
    • TOXLINE/TOXLIT
      • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
      • Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology
        • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
      • Environmental Mutagen Information Center
        • Organization and Content
        • Review and Updates
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • REFERENCES
  • 3 Other Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Services
    • CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
    • REFERENCES
  • 4 Understanding the Information Needs of Health Professionals
    • INFORMATION NEEDS
      • Why Health Professionals Need Information
      • Information Needed by Health Professionals
    • FACTORS AFFECTING INFORMATION SEEKING
      • Demographics
      • Work or Practice Setting
      • Time Sensitivity and Level of Detail
      • Cost
      • Accessibility and Relevance
    • CURRENT AND POTENTIAL USERS OF THE TEHIP DATABASES
      • Current Users
      • Potential Users
        • Primary Care Professionals
        • Occupational and Environmental Health Specialists
        • Emergency Medicine and Poison Control Center Personnel
        • Health Science Librarians and Faculty at Health Professional Schools
    • CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
    • REFERENCES
  • 5 Increasing Awareness: Training and Outreach
    • TRAINING
      • Training in the Use of Computers and Online Database Searching
      • Training in Occupational and Environmental Health
      • Training in Health Information Management
    • OUTREACH
      • Current NLM-Wide Outreach Activities
        • National Network of Libraries of Medicine
        • Extramural Grants
        • Training in Database Searching
      • Current TEHIP-Specific Outreach Activities
        • Toxicology Information Outreach Project
        • Wheaton Regional Library Project
        • Exhibits
    • FUTURE DIRECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATION
      • Emphasizing the Broad Spectrum of Information Resources
      • Targeting Outreach and Training Efforts
      • Use Existing Dissemination Mechanisms
    • REFERENCES
  • 6 Accessing and Navigating the TEHIP Databases
    • ACCESS: GETTING CONNECTED TO THE DATABASES
      • Cost
    • NAVIGATING THE TEHIP DATABASES
      • Selecting a Database
      • Scope of the Databases
      • User Interface
        • Direct Searching
        • Menu Searching
        • Grateful Med
        • Experimental World Wide Web Search Interface
      • Conducting a Search
      • Evaluating and Refining the Search: Quality Indicators
    • FUTURE DIRECTIONS
      • Effective Interfaces
      • Access
      • Search Vocabularies
    • CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
    • REFERENCES
  • 7 Program Issues and Future Directions
    • PROGRAM ISSUES
      • Funding
      • Leadership Role for TEHIP
      • Advisory Committee
      • Evaluation
      • Recommendation on Program Issues
    • FUTURE DIRECTIONS
      • Online Directory
      • Single-Access Information Center
    • REFERENCES
  • Glossary and Acronyms
  • Appendixes
    • A Acknowledgments
    • B Questionnaire
      • Summary of Responses
        • Toxicology and Environmental Health Online Databases
    • C Workshop on Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Resources: Agenda, Participants, and Summary of Focus Group…
      • AGENDA
      • SUMMARY OF FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS
        • Information Needs
        • Methods and Sources Used to Locate and Retrieve Information
        • Use of Online Toxicology and Environmental Health Databases
        • Future Directions

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