FAQ
Q: What are the services provided by WOHKN?
A:Initially WOHKN will provide physicians, researchers, nurses, health care decision makers and allied health professionals affiliated with partner sites, access to the most current and reliable electronic health information in conjunction with professional librarian expertise.
A single virtual identity and portal ensures ease of use and availability of remote access to a variety of electronic journals, e-books, databases and evidence-based resources.
WOHKN will achieve excellence by implementing common practices across all sites including service standards, business planning, policy development, resource allocation, and program evaluation.
At present, WOHKN is in the process of developing a collaborative services model.
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Q: Are print resources included in WOHKN’s scope?
A: The health resources included in WOHKN’s services are primarily e-journals, e-books, databases, and on-line clinical decision making tools, however print journals are included for the London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care, London.
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Q: What is an embargoed journal?
A: A publisher may occasionally suppress the availability of its full text articles in online databases until the peak time for publication print sales has passed. In these instances, the vendor (eg. ProQuest or EBSCO) may offer abstracts of an embargoed publication's articles until the publisher authorizes the inclusion of the full text of the articles in the databases. Embargo periods vary, sometimes lasting a few weeks or months, or up to a year or more.
Sometimes known as delayed open access, the embargo separates the most recent period, for which a subscription is needed (thus protecting the publisher's revenue base), from an older period, where a subscription is not needed and anyone may access the article (open access).
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Q: Can I get off-site access to WOHKN's resources?
A: Yes. You can register for an Athens username/password account. This account will give you access to the electronic journals and databases from the Western Ontario Health Knowledge Network (WOHKN), using a single username and password from any computer with an Internet connection.
Before you register, be aware of the following:
- To register, you must be employed by or affiliated with a hospital participating in the WOHKN partnership.
- If you register from within a WOHKN partner facility, your account details will be emailed to you in a couple of hours. Otherwise approval of your application by an administrator may take up to 3 business days.
- You must supply an email address that you check regularly to receive your username and password.
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Q: Can I get articles not available through the WOHKN portal?
A: Yes. Contact your local Health Sciences Library for articles not available through the WOHKN portal.
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Q: I need a literature search. Who do I contact?
A: Contact your local Health Sciences Library to request a literature search.
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Q: Can I get instruction on using databases?
A: Yes. Contact your local Health Sciences Library to find out more about library classes and one-on-one instruction.
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Q: I’m having technical difficulties. Who do I contact?
A: Please use the WOHKN Help Form or contact your local Health Sciences Library for assistance.
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Q: Is this collaborative voluntary?
A. Yes. WOHKN specifically recognizes that collaboration between the libraries is mutually beneficial and will allow for service enhancements for faculty, students, hospitals and professional staff. Equal access to quality knowledge-based information is required for enhanced patient care and patient safety and for the provision of best practice throughout the region. The basis for the WOHKN partnership is the mutual care, teaching and research goals of the University of Western Ontario and its Affiliated Hospitals. Each WOHKN member has in place a signed and current Affiliation Agreement which includes general responsibilities for the delivery of library services. By means of a Letter of Intent, WOHKN members have further defined the role and collaborative relationship of their libraries with respect to resources, access, services and operations.
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Q: What region does WOHKN serve?
A. WOKHN serves health library partners in the geographic region identified by the MoHLTC as the South West and Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Networks. This area covers Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford, Perth, Huron, Bruce, Grey, Lambton, and Chatham-Kent counties.
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Q: Is this an economically driven initiative?
A: Not primarily. WOHKN is an initiative aiming to improve access to quality electronic resources to health care professionals in our partnering institutions. WOHKN specifically recognizes that collaboration between the libraries is mutually beneficial and will allow for service enhancements for faculty, students and hospital and professional staff. Equal access to quality knowledge-based information is required for enhanced patient care and patient safety and for the provision of best practice throughout the region.
It is acknowledged that partnerships may leverage purchasing power through group commitment and a centralized purchasing strategy.
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Q: Are there plans to broaden the network to include new partners?
A: Once established this Network could consider extending health library services to community based providers, non-affiliated individual health practitioners, or other partners in the region. This network could serve as a model for regionalizing library services in other LHINs.
Evolution of WOHKN will occur in accordance with the following principle:
“…evolve progressively through a balanced use of evidence based practice, continuous re-evaluation, together with the flexibility for innovation and responsiveness to community, regional and provincial concerns.”
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