According to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 80 percent of Internet users, about 93 million Americans, have searched for a health-related topic online. In order to meet these inquisitive minds in the space they prefer, we recently introduced The Parkview Health Research Repository, an institutional research repository where research and scholarly output will be preserved and shared with the general public. The site makes the work created at Parkview accessible worldwide, to anyone curious about featured topics.

Parkview is one of only 11 nonacademic health institutions in the nation, five in the Midwest and the first in Indiana to have an institutional research repository, which was developed by Parkview Health Sciences Library staff. The tool is invaluable for clinical collaboration, as well as an instrument for facilitating research- and fact-based insights to patients seeking to learn more about specific health conditions.

Physicians, residents, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and other research professionals will submit their original works, including:

•         Abstracts
•         Senior theses
•         Working papers or copies of published articles
•         Clinical protocols
•         Conference papers
•         Presentations
•         Posters

To learn more, we invited Julie Hughbanks, library manager, Parkview Health, to share some of the exciting details of this project.

How did the repository come about?

Tammy Toscos, research manager, Informatics, and I discussed the possibility of a research repository back in 2015.

How did you decide where to host it? 

The vendor we selected is used by more than 500 leading institutions in the United States. Our partnership allows us to host and archive our own unique content, but it also allows us to search and access all 500 institutions through a simple search functionality.

What type of information will people find and how do they navigate it?

Each entry includes the title and abstract of the poster, presentation or publication, author information and a link to the abstract or the full text (if not restricted by copyright). There is also an Author Gallery section which features photos, CVs, areas of research interest and works by author. The navigation is intuitive, with a search box (by this institution [Parkview] or all institutions [all 500+]) and then simply scrolling and linking. The Author Gallery is accessible by clicking on the “Selected Works Author Gallery” on the left side of the page.

How can this be beneficial to the health system and the community?      

• The repository offers increased visibility of, and access to, Parkview Health researchers by disseminating publication information which will result in:
  • Greater opportunities for funding/grants
  • Greater opportunities for research collaboration
  • Access to trusted information for the public
• It showcases the work of local individual researchers, clinical specialties and Parkview.
• It identifies and maintains an enduring digital record of Parkview research in the format of publications, presentations and posters. These materials are beneficial researchers for patients and other clinical professionals.
• It offers an alternative to publishing in for-profit journals.
• It identifies research impact (analytics).
• It increases awareness and provides support of Parkview Health programs
  • Reports for Magnet accreditation (research)

Who can contribute to the repository? 

Any Parkview employee, a researcher who has conducted research using Parkview data or a student in a Parkview initiative (i.e. medical students, residents).

How often is it updated? 

Ongoing

Ready to start searching? Visit the The Parkview Health Research Repository now!