Electronic resources

We now have a collection of well being digital audio books and electronic fiction books available via the BorrowBox app.  BorrowBox allows you to download eAudio books and ebooks. This service is available on a tablet, smartphone or web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Internet Explorer.

You will need your reader membership code and password to access the collection.  Contact either library: esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net or esth.libraryepsom@nhs.net for these details.

Devices compatible with BorrowBox

Tablets: iPad, iPod touch, Kindle Fire, Nexus, Hudl or any other tablet using Android.

Instructions for downloading the BorrowBox app are available Setting up Borrow Box on your device [pdf] 200KB .

To see how to use BorrowBox, take a look at this short video.

BMJ Best Practice is a trusted clinical decision support tool which provides healthcare professionals with access to the latest relevant clinical information when making diagnosis and treatment decisions.  

BMJ Best Practice includes:

• More than 250 integrated medical calculators
• Patient discussions and nearly 400 patient leaflets
• The latest evidence and Cochrane Clinical Answers
• Plus an award-winning app that can be used offline, ensuring that you always have the information you need, when you need it.

Access BMJ Best Practice using your Epsom and St Helier OpenAthens account.  Download the  User Guide [pdf] 1MB for more information or contact us at: esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net 

BMJ Learning offers high-quality continuing medical education for doctors, nurses, medical students, pharmacists, physician associates and other healthcare professionals.  It features hundreds of accredited, peer-reviewed learning modules in a range of formats including text, video and audio formats.

Access BMJ Learning using your Epsom and St Helier OpenAthens account. 

BMJ case reports (opens in a new window) is the largest online repository containing over 3,000 published medical case reports from authors based in more than 70 countries.

All submissions to BMJ Case Reports undergo a rapid peer review process and any articles that are accepted for publication are copy edited before publication ensuring that both accuracy and consistency  are maintained. 

All the BMJ case reports (opens in a new window) can be accessed with an Epsom and St Helier OpenAthens username and password.

To submit a case report please contact Marisa or Potenza at esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net to request the Epsom and St Helier fellowship code.

ClinicalSkills.Net is a UK based electronic resource designed to support practical clinical skills teaching.  ClinicalSkills.net has been purchased only for Surrey Downs Health and Care and Sutton Health & Care Registered Nurses and Non-Registered Nurses.  If you fall into these categories and have not received a username and password please contact Potenza and Marisa at: esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net. eLearning training materials for this resource including videos and PowerPoint slides can be found here.

Cochrane clinical answers (opens in a new window) (CCA) covers 32 clinical specialties and provide a clinically focused entry point to meticulous and diligent research from Cochrane systematic reviews.They are designed to help clinicians with their decision making process at the point of care. Cochrane clinical answers are presented in a question and answer format and are directly linked to the review.

Cochrane clinical answers have been developed by Cochrane Innovations Ltd. and Wiley Online Library.

For more information, and how to search the Cochrane clinical answers website effectively, see the CCA user guide [pdf] 2MB.

Cochrane Library (opens in a new window) is a collection of six databases of reliable evidence on the effectiveness of healthcare interventions. It is regarded as the best resource available of this type. The Cochrane Library is put together by the Cochrane Collaboration, the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and other related organisations and is updated quarterly. There is also a seventh database that provides information about the various Cochrane Groups. You do not need an Athens username and password to use this resource.

If you would like training on how to effectively search the Cochrane Library please contact the library at hirsonlibrary@esth.nhs.uk.

e-Learning for Healthcare is a Health Education England Programme working in partnership with the NHS and professional bodies to support patient care by providing e-learning to educate and train the health and social care workforce. There are over 150 e-learning programmes available including emergency medicine, end of life care and prescribing.

The programmes contain ‘real-life’ scenarios, case studies and ‘knowledge bites’. Interactivity is built into the programmes by using quality images, audio, animation and video.

You will need an Epsom and St Helier OpenAthens account to access this resource.

Access e-Learning for Healthcare (opens in a new window).

You can access the electronic journals available to you via the My journals (opens in a new window) page or via the BrowZine Journal Library (NHS OpenAthens username and password required). To request photocopies of articles from journals not available, please fill in the online article request form.

GPCPD.com is a fully searchable web-based resource (online handbook) that is updated through the year as new guidelines and evidence come out. Many of the articles included in the resource are associated with focussed learning activities which translate knowledge into real cases and action, ideas for appraisal, reflection and quality improvement. This offers huge potential for users to consolidate their learning, make change in real life and to earn significant numbers of CPD points.  All of these activities, and any reading done on GPCPD can be logged and then uploaded to users’ appraisal systems or eportfolio. Individuals who subscribe get those updates for a full 12 months.  The resource has been purchased specifically to support GP trainees on the Epsom GPVTS training programme and the St Helier GPVTS training programme.  If you fall into either of these categories please email Marisa, Potenza or Manda at: esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net to get a 12 month account.

The following healthcare databases (opens in a new window) are available through NHS OpenAthens and Evidence Search Resources (NHS OpenAthens username and password required).

• AMED (physiotherapy, OT, rehabilitation & complementary medicine)
• British Nursing Index (small database of popular British nursing journals)
• CINAHL (nursing and allied health, including recent US research)
• Cochrane Library (Collection of evidence base databases)
• EMBASE (European database of biomedical and pharmacological literature)
• EMCARE (nursing and allied health professions): premium database ideal for practice, education and research
• HMIC (Health management information consortium): a compilation of DH-Data (health administration and toxicology) and King's Fund (health improvement and management)
• Medline (the largest database, covers clinical, medical and nursing literature)
• PsycINFO (psychology, psychiatry and related disciplines)
• PubMed (the largest database, covers clinical, medical and nursing literature)
• Social Policy and Practice (Comprehensive health and social care databases)

You can email the library staff at the Hirson Library, St Helier Hospital  or at the Sally Howell Library, Epsom Hospital  to request any other full-text reference you would like to obtain.

Digital Learning Solutions (DLS) provides all NHS staff and students on placement free access to online IT learning material to improve digital literacy skills.  All competency levels are catered for, example courses include Level 1 Microsoft Word 2010 and Level 1 Microsoft PowerPoint 2010. To access the learning materials please register using your NHS email address and your employee number.

The library offers mediated digital skills training sessions using these resources. If this is of interest email Rosy Bennett at: esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net

Please note:  The learning materials use Flash and only work on Internet Explorer.

JASP is an open-source project supported by the University of Amsterdam.  In recognition of Bayesian pioneer Sir Harold Jeffreys, JASP stands for Jeffreys’s Amazing Statistics Program.JASP has an intuitive interface that was designed with the user in mind. JASP offers standard analysis procedures in both their classical and Bayesian form.  In summer 2021, the University of Amsterdam ran a bespoke workshop about JASP.  You can view the records and download the presentations via the eLearning site.  Please contact the Library Team on 020 8296 3184 from Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 5:00pm if you have problems logging in.

The NHS Knowledge and Library Hub connects NHS staff and learners to high quality knowledge and evidence resources in one place.

Funded by Health Education England, it includes:

• journals, books and databases
• clinical decision support resources including NICE Guidelines and BMJ Best Practice
• policy and management information and research literature
• resources purchased nationally and locally, one-click links to full-text, request a copy or contact the ESTH library
• The Knowledge Hub Guide gives you some tips about searching the hub.

LibKey Nomad is a browser extension that automatically provides links to the full text of journal articles, subscribed to by Epsom and St Helier Library and Information Services, while you are carrying out your research.

If we do not hold a subscription to a journal article, it will point you to open access alternatives.

Find out more about how to get one-click access to scholarly articles from the LibKey Nomad Brochure (opens in new window).

Watch this short video created by our librarians Liz Lourandos and Rosy Bennett explaining how easy it is to download and install LibKey Nomad.

Downloading the LibKey Nomad browser extension is really simple. It provides instant links to the full text of journal articles subscribed to by your library, including Open Access sources, connecting you to literature discovered on the web. Follow these simple steps to get the LibKey Nomad browser extension:

1. Go to the Third Iron website (opens in new window)
2. Click on the orange button - ‘Get LibKey Nomad now’
3. Select your preferred browser
4. Click ‘Add’ then ‘Add extension’ to add the LibKey extension to your chosen browser
5. Use the drop down to select your organisation, and the process is complete!

To check the extension has been installed, click on the jigsaw piece   at the top right of the screen and you should see the  icon displayed.

LibKey Nomad also works PubMed, Google Scholar and the Knowledge & Library Hub, including BrowZine. Look for the green flame when searching for scholarly articles.

If you would like a quick training session about LibKey Nomad, contact Rosy Bennett (Library Learning Technologist) at esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net

OnExamination is produced by the BMJ Learning. A leading provider of online exam revision resources it provides exam revision resources, self assesment modules and clinical video tutorials.

We have purchased a number of  vouchers which will enable doctors in training access to OnExamination resources to prepare for the following exams:

• MRCP Part 1
• MRCP Part 2 Written
• MRCGP
• MRCPCH Foundation of Practice
• MRCPCH Foundation of Practice and Theory and Science of Practice
• MRCPCH Part 2
• MRCPCH Theory and Science of Practice
• DCH
• MRCOG Part 1
• MRCOG Part 2
• DRCOG
• MRCS Part A Papers 1 and 2
• FRCS General Surgery
• FRCA Primary
• First FRCR Physics
• Specialty Certificate Examination in Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Specialty Certificate Examination in Gastroenterology
• GPST.

If you are interested in obtaining a two-month voucher from the library, please contact the Library Team by email at esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net or call 020 8296 2430.

Links to searchable globally available repositories of free, high quality, open access, peer-reviewed, full-text journal articles.  You do not need any passwords to access this content.

Directory of Open Access Journals: contains over 12,000 full text articles in a number of fields including medicine.

Free Medical Journals:  promotes free access to medical journals by providing a list of the top open access medical journals by impact factor, topic, level of free access availability e.g. immediately, after 1-6 months etc and by title.  Multiple languages available.  Links to search the journal articles are via either PubMed, PubMed Central or the individual journal interface.

PubMed Central: contains over five million full text biomedical and life sciences articles.

Webmed Central: a collection of open access biomedical articles. All submitted articles are published immediately and peer review takes place post publication. Searches can be restricted to peer review articles only.

Passmedicine is a proven revision resource that helps you to pass your medical exam using a number of techniques including a histogram based on other candidates scores which are updated on a daily basis.  The Library has a number of Passmedicine vouchers for the following exams: Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), DRCOG, MRCP Part 1, MRCP Part 2 Written,  2021 Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA).
Please contact Manda, Marisa or Potenza at: esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net if you would like a voucher.

PsycARTICLES (opens in a new window) is a well renowned database of full-text articles from journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe & Huber. The database is updated weekly, with current coverage included. Many of the titles date back to 1894. This resource includes subjects such as applied psychology, communication systems, personality, psychometrics and statistics. Searching the database is very intuitive, either by browsing the journal titles directly or by using keywords that may occur in the article title, abstract, or the full-text. You will need an Epsom and St Helier OpenAthens account to access this resource.

Mendeley (opens in a new window) is a free reference management software package, which enables you to manage and share references, work with PDFs and compile bibliographies on any device. You can create a fully searchable library and cite as you write. The desktop version of Mendeley is available on all of the library PCs.

The Library has recently via a Library Certification Programme gained free access to the enhanced version of Mendeley via an upgrade link. This subscription is available for Epsom and St Helier staff who require an enhanced version of this reference management tool. 

With the Mendeley upgrade link, Epsom and St Helier Library and Information Service offers up to 500 Mendeley users a free upgrade with the following features:

• 5GB private library space for PDFs
• Unlimited number of private groups
• Unlimited library space for private groups
• You can invite up to 25 people into private groups
• Automatic literature recommendations.

Institutional Library Group

You can benefit from the above mentioned advantages, if you authenticate yourself as a member of ESTH with your ESTH NHS email address when creating your Mendeley account. Contact the library team via esth.hirsonlibrary@nhs.net  to receive one of the upgrade links if you feel that you need an enhanced version of Mendeley.

Help and support:

Please see the library training sessions page for details of training sessions provided by the Library Service and to download a bespoke training guide. In addition please see the help guides, which include video tutorials provided by Mendeley.

Zotero (opens in a new window) is another open source reference manager. It automatically senses content in your web browser and allows you to store images, PDFs, video files and other file types. You can build up your own personal library in minutes.  

Online training

Free: the SIGN Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s course 'Critical appraisal of the medical literature' (opens in a new window) includes videos and self-study materials

Free: the Health Knowledge (opens in a new window) webpages on the Public Health Action Support Team CIC (PHAST) website include the course finding and appraising the evidence with six modules.

Critical Appraisal online (opens in a new window) offers discounts to access the online course for groups. The access for all the users will start and finish at the same time. Please ask at the library if you are interested.

Critical appraisal tools

Free: CASP (critical appraisal skills programme) (opens in a new window) offers eight critical appraisal checklists, including checklists for: systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, case control studies, economic evaluations, diagnostic studies, qualitative studies and clinical prediction rule. 

Free: the CEBM website (opens in a new window)  includes checklists for systematic reviews and meta analysis, single randomised controlled trials, studies of diagnosis and studies of prognosis.

Free: the CATmaker (opens in a new window) software helps you to create critical appraisal topics starting from your clinical question to the presentation of the results. It includes access to online critical appraisal guides and calculators.

Free: BestBets (opens in a new window) includes worksheets for different studies including: case-control checklist (including harm),  cohort,  decision rule, diagnosis, economic, educational interventions, guidelines, prognosis, qualitative, randomised control trials, review or meta-analysis, screening and surveys (including pre-test probabilities).

Glossaries

Free: the Bandolier glossary (opens in a new window) includes definitions to statistical concepts used and links to further resources. 

Free: the Cochrane Library glossary (opens in a new window)

Electronic book

How to Read a Paper : The Basics of Evidence-based Medicine (opens in a new window) (Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust OpenAthens account required).

Turning researching into practice (Trip Pro) (opens in a new window) is a clinical search engine which has been online since 1997. It has been designed to help people to find high-quality research evidence to support their practice and/or care quickly. Trip allows users to not only research evidence but search across various content types including patient information leaflets, educational courses, images and videos.