147: THE ROLE OF MEDICAL LIBRARIANS IN PROMOTING EVIDENCE BASE MEDICINE IN IRAN

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence based medicine (EBM) is a systematic process that allows physicians and decision makers to access the most reliable and up to date information for the well-being of their patients and the society. The support of medical librarians is essential in this process. The present article reviews the role of medical librarians in EBM in Iran. METHODS: In this review, information was gathered by searching different databases including PubMed, Science Direct, SID, Google Scholar and Scopus by these key words: (clinical librarian OR medical librarian OR medical informationist) AND (Evidence-Based Medicine OR Evidence-based practice) AND Iran. Retrieved articles were screened and the relevant articles were chosen. RESULTS: Performing a comprehensive search and choosing the best relevant information is an important step in EBM. Librarians and medical informationists play an important role in finding, screening and appraising relevant medical literature and supporting clinicians in answering their medical questions. However, little research has been done in Iran and their role has not been well valued even in university hospitals in Iran. CONCLUSION: Librarians and medical informationists have an important role in improving medical decision making and encouraging the use of up to date literature. They can also help by cooperating in teaching efficient search skills and holding appropriate evidence based medicine journal clubs. Librarians should be used more efficiently to improve the quality of medical services and decrease the cost of medical treatment in Iran.