The RSM's decision follows a review of its library strategy, which emphasizes making such information available electronically to meet the demands of its members.
By utilising ClinicalKey’s content, the Society will ensure that multiple members are able to access reliable clinical reference material at any time, and away from the physical library building. This will assist them in their studies and support them in their clinical work enhancing the care they give to their patients. Members will also be able to access, download, store and, if necessary, print an article or chapter whenever they require, including in the hospital setting.
"The library is cited as a key reason for members joining the RSM," said Wayne Sime, director of library services at the Royal Society of Medicine. "Therefore it is imperative that we provide trusted information in the format that they require to support them in their roles as medical professionals.
"Digitisation is taking place across virtually every aspect of the NHS, so it makes sense that the RSM and its members support this trend and reap the benefits of doing so by using a solution like ClinicalKey that is cost effective while providing maximum content."
The RSM library, which has more than 600,000 volumes, aims to be virtually electronic by January 2014, with the exception of its historical archive and rare books collection.
"Whilst we recognise that the Library has a role to play as a custodian of history, since we embarked on our digital journey in 2007, we have seen a doubling in footfall as our books and journals have achieved higher visibility," Sime said. "This leads us to believe that libraries, like the RSM's, must innovate in this way in order to succeed."
By using ClinicalKey the RSM expects to realise significant reductions in storage and labor costs associated with retrieving and maintaining archive copies. It will also ensure material is preserved despite it being used by thousands of people for training, research and decision support. Members will also be able to take advantage of new study space that will take the place of the paper-based journals.
"The RSM's library is the jewel in our crown," said RSM president Sir Michael Rawlins. "This new initiative will allow our members - globally - much easier access to our collection. The benefits will be for both them as well as the patients they serve."
In addition to online access to hundreds of books and journals, ClinicalKey also will provide members from across the world with more than 13,000 medical and surgical videos for clinical training, a database of clinical guidelines and more than 3,000 drug monographs in Elsevier's Clinical Pharmacology.
"ClinicalKey is already providing medical professionals in many countries with a platform to answer questions posed within a clinical care context," said Tim Hawkins, managing director, Clinical Solutions, Elsevier UK and Northern Europe. "Opening up access to the RSM's 21,000 members across the world will mean that even more students, graduates and medical professionals can access immediate, online comprehensive and trusted information at the touch of a button. We look forward to continuing to work with the RSM and its members on their digital journey."
Launched in April 2012, ClinicalKey provides online access to medical reference materials, including the most current clinically relevant evidence-based answers, as well as expert commentary, MEDLINE abstracts and select third-party journals. Its clinical reference search engine is powered by Elsevier's Smart Content and tagged with EMMeT (Elsevier Merged Medical Taxonomy), which enables ClinicalKey to understand clinical terms and thus discover medical content that is the most relevant, plus find related content that would be missed by other search engines.
About the Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine is one of the country's major providers of accredited postgraduate medical education. Each year, the RSM organises over 400 academic and public events, spanning over 55 specialty Sections, providing a multi-disciplinary forum for discussion and debate. The Society is home to one of the finest medical libraries in the world, with an extensive collection of books, journals, electronic journals and online medical databases. As well as providing medical education, the Society aims to promote an exchange of information and ideas on the science, practice and organisation of medicine, both within the health professions and with responsible and informed public opinion. The Society is not a policy-making body and does not issue guidelines or standards of care.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier’s online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, helping research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).