Rowland Medical Library Spotlight: Find it faster with A-Z Databases

Rowland Medical Library provides faculty, students, and residents with access to more than 130 databases, digital tools, and information resources. These resources can be found on the library’s website at A-Z Databases. Although the term database often brings to mind tools for locating journal article citations, these resources offer much more. They include point-of-care apps, e-book collections, self-directed learning tools, and video content that support clinical care, education, and research. Choosing the right resource from the start can save time and improve the quality of results.

Consider these three broad categories of information resources:

Teaching & Learning resources include educational platforms that support instruction, student learning, curriculum development, and self-directed learning. Resources such as Boards & Beyond, BoardVitals, AccessMedicine, ClinicalKey, MedOne Education, and LWW Health Library provide access to e-books, videos, study tools, review materials, and other educational content designed to enhance teaching effectiveness and support student success. Some of these platforms enable faculty to integrate videos and other content directly into Canvas.

Point-of-Care tools provide concise, evidence-based clinical information that supports decision-making in patient care settings. Evidence summaries synthesize current research, clinical guidelines, and expert recommendations to help clinicians answer questions quickly and accurately. Examples include BMJ Best Practice, DynaMed, UpToDate, and VisualDx. Unlike bibliographic databases such as PubMed, point-of-care tools summarize and interpret evidence rather than simply providing citations to the literature.

Research databases provide access to scholarly literature and other specialized information sources that support research, teaching, and evidence-based practice. These resources help users discover journal articles, books, conference proceedings, systematic reviews, datasets, and other materials relevant to a specific topic or research question. Examples of research databases include PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Not sure where to start? While the list is arranged alphabetically, the most useful resource for a particular information need may not be immediately obvious. A-Z Databases helps users find all library databases and resources, complete with detailed descriptions of their content, subject coverage, and intended use. Additional filters allow users to browse by subject, content type, or vendor.

Please contact Sarah Adcock with questions about Rowland Medical Library resources or services.