Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Strategies for Enhancing Family Physician Programs with Medical Librarian Information Partnership: A Policy Brief

Document Type : policy brief

Authors
1 Medical Library and Information Science, Health Information Technology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2 Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
3 USERN Office, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
10.48305/jims.v44.i859.0613
Abstract
This policy brief was developed based on the findings of a qualitative study that aimed to identify collaboration strategies between medical librarians and family physicians to advance the goals of the family physician program in Iran. The findings indicate that family physicians often have less timely and effective access to reliable and up-to-date health information due to the high volume and sensitivity of clinical work and time constraints. This can negatively impact the quality of clinical decision-making, effective patient education, and community health outcomes. On the other hand, medical librarians, as experts in retrieving, evaluating, and organizing information, have the capacity to respond to information problems and needs in the clinical setting. Based on the analysis of expert perspectives, four main areas for medical librarians’ information partnership in the clinical setting were identified, including helping to enhance physicians’ professional knowledge and scientific mastery, improving research methodology, promoting information literacy, and providing appropriate content for information resources for patient education. On this basis, four policy strategies were designed and presented in consultation and participation of relevant experts to operationalize this collaboration, including “developing and implementing joint policy and formalizing the role of librarians”, “providing specialized information services and supporting clinical decision-making”, “producing and disseminating reliable and understandable educational content for patients”, and “actively participating in clinical and applied research related to primary care”.

Highlights

Hasan Ashrafi-rizi: Google Scholar

Zahra Kazempour: Google Scholar

Keywords
Subjects

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Volume 44, Issue 859
3rd Week,June (Policy Brief)
May and June 2026
Pages 613-617

  • Receive Date 21 February 2026
  • Accept Date 20 April 2026