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The presentation is based on the results of the research conducted in Poland to identify information behaviour of managers in health care as the scientific and professional information users. The study compiled the results of a national mail survey, review of literature, and the data acquired with the use of qualitative methods: interviews, focus groups and analysis of documents. The main and relevant for this presentation conclusion were: 1/ managers are not independent and direct users of information services. A job characteristic stops them from searching databases, using information centres, libraries, and Internet to look for evidence; 2/ Managers obtain job related information from various intermediaries. Turning to intermediaries is the most typical information behaviour of managers, and an intermediary is the most important element in a chain of managers’ information activities. These intermediaries not only search for information for managers, but also process it and evaluate. Therefore the completeness and quality of information depend upon intermediaries’ individual competencies, knowledge and skills. The higher the level of managerial position the longer is the chain of intermediaries. 3/The information skills of numerous intermediaries are unknown. The librarians who know where and how to look for reliable evidence are placed at the very end of the chain of intermediaries, if they are at all. The question is how to make sure that managers get full and evidence-based information? There seem to be two paths: 1/ make a librarian or information specialist a manager’s information assistant, who directs other intermediaries to the right sources, filters information and educates, or 2/ educate everybody in health care sector in information skills. The author presents advantages and disadvantages of each solution, and concludes that most probably the combination of both, with major changes to information specialist image and qualifications seem to be the best one. |