Learning Objectives
The participant will be able to:
- Identify various means to gain information using available technology.
- List the 5 steps that define information literacy.
- Recognize the importance of being able to efficiently and effectively find information in clinical practice.
- Compile list of criteria used to critically evaluate the credibility of information and its source.
- Describe how understanding information literacy leads to improved clinical practice and advancement of the profession toward AOTAs Centennial Vision.
Introduction
Today, we will talk about how you get your information and how to use technology to do that. We will go over the steps of information literacy, because it is not a term that we are very familiar with as practitioners. We will talk about being efficient and effective in finding information. We will then go over some criteria that you can use in your practice to find information and evaluate it, and talk about how it is important to advance our profession in terms of AOTA’s Centennial Vision and where we are going in the future.
When do you need information in your practice? How do you get that information? Where is your go-to source, and how do you use it? Do you regularly need information and look it up while at work? Sometimes you have to rely on sources to get the answers you need. When you were students, think about what kind of information you needed then. Did you receive formal training in techniques of searching databases and evaluating the information for quality and credibility? I find that a lot of programs expect that students already know how to search databases and where to go for information. As students, you are asked to do research projects and write papers. You need to get the information for that, but I think many programs assume that the students are already knowledgeable about how to do that.
Here are some examples of information literacy in occupational therapy practice. Some topics we may research on a daily basis are what their diagnosis is, what the different procedures are, types of surgical procedures, different options for treatment, either conservative or surgical, and/or what different medications can do. Sometimes we have to look at where, how, and what information we are using and if it is credible. We also have to be able to get that information back to our clients, their families, our colleagues, doctors, administrators, or insurance companies. There are also times when we have to put all that together in more formal presentations or in a hard copy handout, in a written article, etc. We certainly are using information literacy whether it is in clinical practice or continuing education events.
