Accurate and Personalized Clinical Librarianship: A Proposed Framework for Aligning Evidence with the Patient, Clinical Question, and Decision Context
Journal of Medical Library and Information Science,
Vol. 7 No. 7 (2026),
6 May 2026
https://doi.org/10.22037/jmlis.v7i7.53600
Abstract
The global healthcare sector faces a critical crisis, with millions of deaths annually caused by medical errors, particularly in developed and low-income nations. Beyond the human tragedy, economic damages reach billions of dollars, driven largely by information failures. A significant gap persists between research and clinical practice, as traditional one-size-fits-all protocols often overlook individual biological and lifestyle differences, leading to diagnostic and medication errors. To address this, medicine is shifting toward precision, personalized, and proactive models. This evolution requires a fundamental transformation in medical librarianship, with the emergence of precision and personalized clinical librarianship. Precision librarianship matches resources to molecular and biological characteristics, while personalized librarianship tailors information to patient preferences, lifestyle, and clinician needs. Moving beyond being general information providers, librarians must act as translators of clinical knowledge, bridging the gap between science and practice. This framework, aligning precision and personalization in information services, includes five key elements: patient characteristics, clinical questions, decision-making context, urgency, and evidence levels. This model ensures the right treatment for the right patient at the right time, making integrated information services a strategic necessity for patient safety.
- Accurate clinical librarianship
- Personalized clinical librarianship
- Evidence-based information services
- Clinical decision-making
How to Cite
References
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