P19S08: Influenza vaccine
Bottom line: Information on Influenza
vaccine was used to maintain the management of a patient (administration of the
appropriate vaccine). There were no information-related patient health
outcomes.
Level 1 outcome (situational relevance): On November 24, 2008, P19 did a search
at work, by themselves, and after a phone call with a patient. They retrieved one information hit about influenza vaccine. The reported search
objectives were: to address a clinical question, to look up something they had
forgotten and to share information with a patient or caregiver. “He [the patient, a man in his early fifties] has diabetes
and we recommend that he gets a flu shot every year. He has a known allergy to
Neomycin, anaphylactic reaction. Obviously [he needs to] have the Neomycin free brand [vaccine]. […] I just had to
check to see which was the Neomycin free one […] because I can never remember which one is. […][After I
found the answer to my question], I told him that he was going to be getting
Fluviral and that we had a vial set aside for him in the fridge.” According to P19,
e-Therapeutics+ was the only source for information, and the found information
was relevant.
Level 2 outcome (cognitive impact): One hit was associated with a report of positive
cognitive impact (see table). Regarding reminder, P19 stated: “I knew I just had to look up which one it
was. At one point I didn’t know that it was Fluviral, I just had forgotten. [...] [From the found information] So
there is no neomycin in Fluviral.”
Retrieved
information hit:
1) e-Therapeutics+ (CIRT): eCPS Tab – Brand and generic – Keyword: Fluviral – Paragraph under
dosage (P19S08H01)
Level 3 outcome
(information use): Information on Influenza
vaccine was retrieved, and used to better understand a
specific issue with respect to the management of the patient, and to maintain (be
more certain about) the management of the patient (information used
as presented in e-Therapeutics+). “I guess in very broad terms, [what I wanted
to know was] which vaccine was it safe for him to [take
considering his allergy to Neomycin]. [...] We set aside a vial of Fluviral for him, and he came in and got his flu
shot. And he was fine.”
Level 4 outcome (patient health): Without these information hits, P19’s management of the patient would
have been the same. There was no clear relationship between the information use
and patient health outcomes.
Levels of outcome of information-seeking
|
Situational relevance |
Positive cognitive
impact |
Information use |
Patient health |
|
Address a clinical question Look up something forgotten Share information |
Reminded something |
Be more certain Understand issue |
No outcome |