The Delaware Academy of Medicine, in partnership with the State of Delaware, is pleased to announce the creation of DelMIRA, the Delaware Medical Information Resource Alliance. DelMIRA is a new state consortium which aims to reduce disparity in access to medical information to healthcare providers and Delaware citizens. In its first year along, DelMIRA will impact 70% of Delaware hospital in-patients and 50% of Delaware health care professionals. The Academy received a $400,000 grant from the state to launch DelMIRA which will serve as a blueprint for states across the country who are addressing access issues.
This program provides electronic access to the most current patient care and patient education information that is not “freely” available on the web. By taking advantage of cooperative purchasing discounts, DelMIRA will provide access to licensed resources including OVID ejournals, MDConsult, Mosby’s Nursing Skills, Ebsco’s Health Business and DynaMed. As an added benefi t, some e-content suppliers provide their information to federally qualifi ed health centers serving residents in Wilmington and Newark areas, at no additional cost. The Academy eventually plans to offer similar benefits to other non-acute facilities.
Background
Nationally, community and rural hospital libraries have diffi culty obtaining adequate funding for e-resources. Through discussions with Delaware medical librarians, the Academy recognized this trend and studied the disparity in access. We found barriers to access across the State of Delaware. The Academy and its partners conceived of DelMIRA as an important step toward improving the availability of medical, nursing and allied health clinical information to acute care facilities. State offi cials, particularly members of the Health Fund Advisory Committee (HFAC), recognized the linkages between a healthier Delaware and improving patient outcomes and quality of care regardless of a clinician’s or patient’s location.
Advocacy
The involvement of both state and hospital partners made funding for DelMIRA a reality in 2007. Jean Winstead, Medical Librarian at Beebe Medical Center was also an important advocate who communicated the importance of reducing the disparities in access across the state. Advocacy also took the form of application preparation, attendance at public hearings and testimony. Dr. Marge White, Vice President for Patient Care Services at Beebe also testified before the HFAC on behalf of DelMIRA. Initially, this initiative impacts over 2,000 in-patient beds and close to 10,000 healthcare professionals. Currently, licensed resources include the OVID e-journals, MDConsult, Mosby’s Nursing Skills and Ebsco’s Health Business and DynaMed. As an added benefi t, some e-content suppliers provide their information to federally qualified health centers serving residents in Wilmington and Newark areas, at no additional cost. The Academy plans to extend similar benefi ts to other non-acute facilities, if it secures additional funding in FY09.
The Future
The Academy is working closely with partners including Beebe Medical Center, Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Bayhealth, duPont Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, the Delaware Psychiatric Hospital and the Division of Public Health to educate clinicians, patients, and citizens about the availability of these new e-resources. The Academy is also tracking usage patterns and preparing an outreach plan to reach even more citizens across the state. The Academy will be seeking additional funding for FY09 to expand the program. If you have questions about this program, please contact Robb Mackes at (302) 733-3989, or send an email to him at the following address:
rmackes@delamed.org
