Managing knowledge in health services

The healthcare environment is changing rapidly and effective management of the knowledge base in this area is an integral part of delivering high quality patient care.

Information professionals working in this sector need to adapt to new roles to meet the needs of an increasingly demanding user base.

This comprehensive text aims to equip information workers and other health professionals with the tools they require to meet these challenges.The work is structured around three logical divisions which identify and analyze the functions and value of knowledge management in a health environment, describe the rapidly evolving role of health information provision and provide a practical toolkit for health information providers and users.Part 1 looks at the context within which healthcare is delivered and examines the different users who have access to the knowledge base; Part 2 outlines the principles underlying the way health information resources and services are organized and managed; and Part 3 discusses the skills required to use the knowledge base effectively.Within this structure, individual chapters cover issues of particular relevance, such as marketing the information service, training the users, sources of health knowledge and searching the knowledge base.