Information needs of naval primary care providers and patients at sea.
OBJECTIVE
To optimally practice medicine, and to live healthy lives, providers and patients need convenient access to authoritative information. The goal of this study was to determine the information needs of naval primary care providers and patients at sea to aid development of a digital health sciences library for naval primary care providers and patients.


METHODS
A literature-based needs assessment was conducted from articles identified using MEDLINE searching and U.S. Navy health care information sources. Recurring medical problems/diseases/topics were identified and categorized.


RESULTS
Eighty-one articles and books were reviewed and abstracted, representing a broad base of naval medicine. Twenty-one medical and surgical theme areas and 125 medical problems/diseases/topics were recurrently identified.


CONCLUSIONS
The common naval medical problems identified are nearly identical to the common medical problems in the general population, have changed little from the 18th century, and were consistent with first-hand information from naval primary care providers.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.
D M
DM
D'Alessandro
M P
MP
D'Alessandro
M J
MJ
Hendrix
R S
RS
Bakalar
D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000592:standards*; D007993:Libraries, Medical; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education*; D009017:Morbidity; D009326:Naval Medicine / Q000193:education*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012767:Ships; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology