Influence of strategic direction for NHS Scotland knowledge services on indexing policy for the NHS Scotland e-library.
OBJECTIVE
Indexing policy for the NHS Scotland e-Library needs to maximize future inter-operability with other significant health- and social-care-related resources. The strategic drive towards integration and partnership working means that the indexing system has to be widely acceptable to the full range of disciplines within the integrated health-care family.


METHODS
Indexes identified by various means and then shortlisted using predefined criteria.


RESULTS
Three subject indexes have been chosen--Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), CareData and the Government Category List (GCL), plus mapping between natural language and MeSH terms. This decision was a reasonable compromise between the strategy-driven aim of seamless access for all 'partners in care', and practical constraints of time/manpower. Other authority files (e.g. geographical area, language) are also standards based, and customised to reflect the information needs of an increasingly integrated health-care system.


CONCLUSIONS
No single index could provide the scope required to meet the widening range of NHS information need. The influence of high-level strategic aims and objectives have extended their reach to influence indexing policy for the e-Library. Our indexing policy will continue to evolve and contribute to a knowledge management infrastructure capable of supporting current and future NHS Scotland information needs and strategy. Layperson terminology was identified as a gap; additional measures to address this gap are highlighted.
McLeod
Lorraine
L
Information Manager, Managed Knowledge Networks, NHS Education for Scotland, Glasgow G3 8BW, UK. l.mcleod@beatson.gla.ac.uk
Thain
Annette
A
Wales
Ann
A
D000043:Abstracting and Indexing; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D046609:Libraries, Digital; D007993:Libraries, Medical; D046650:Medical Subject Headings; D012606:Scotland; D009626:Terminology as Topic