Wolters Kluwer webinar with the Medical Library Association hosts medical librarians discussing burnout

The volume of healthcare information grows daily with estimates that by 2025, the compound annual growth will reach 36%. Clinicians rely upon medical librarians for trusted clinical content and as the data grows, so do the demands of the job. To examine the daunting challenges that medical librarians face while avoiding burnout, Wolters Kluwer Health and the Medical Library Association (MLA) will host a lively online discussion titled, “Doing more while avoiding burn-out: Helping medical librarians balance emerging demands,” today, October 4th, at 1:00 pm ET.

Librarians saw dramatic changes that impacted the volume and quality of medical information during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Incorrect or misleading information about the virus and vaccines spread quickly over social media. The rise in virtual care and the use of retail clinics created new channels for people to seek treatment in an already busy system as well as new demands for information. And new technologies such as generative AI offer new challenges in light of reports of healthcare information being fabricated by generative AI.

This distinguished group of panelists that will discuss the oversight, guidance, and support needed for librarians includes:

• (Moderator) Michelle Kraft, AHIP, FMLA, Director of Library Services, Cleveland Clinic Floyd D. Loop Alumni Library

• Beverly Murphy, MLS, Asst. Director, Communications and Web Content, Hospital Nursing Liaison, Duke University Medical Center

• Bridget Jivanelli, MLIS, AHIP Medical Librarian, Kim Barrett Memorial Library, HSS Education Institute

• Gail Kouame, MLIS, Director, Charles M. Baugh Biomedical Library, University of South Alabama

Topics to be discussed during this webinar include:

• Exploring typical causes of burnout across the medical librarian community, and steps to take to mitigate or prevent it.
  
  
• Understanding the potential and risk of new information resources, and how librarians can support the institutions and clinicians who may want to use these innovative technologies.
  
  
• The consideration of emerging trends in medical librarianship, such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and personalized information services, and the evolution of the profession.
  
  
• Developing best practices to reinforce the key role medical librarians play in managing medical information—and identifying activities that cross those boundaries or intersect with other functions.
  
  
• Summarizing current initiatives that librarians are undertaking to demonstrate their value across critical performance dimensions such as reducing costs, improving care quality, increasing patient safety and regulatory compliance, and expediting paths to accreditation.