What is Microsoft Teams?

This blogpost was written by Fiona Graham, IT trainer at St George’s, University of London.

Microsoft Teams also known aa Teams is a collaboration web application that supports online communication and teamwork, using the Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome (recommended) browsers on any device.  

Teams is integrated into the Office 365 group of apps and is designed to provide users with a workspace that is equipped with the tools to get any project completed with team members.  

Teams has a wealth of features with several advantages that enables you to engage with your team: 

• Share content allows you to share your device screen to deliver presentations or give demonstrations 
• Make calls using someone’s email address and send private messages 
• Co-edit and share files during and after meetings 
• Video record meetings and automatically produce transcriptions 

• Hold interactive webinars for 300 people and live events for up to 10,000 attendees 
• Share OneNote or Whiteboard during and after meetings 
• Create, upload files and folders 
• Catch up on missed discussions and view discussions between other group members 

Microsoft Teams Apps 

There are three apps you can use: the online app, the desktop app, and the mobile app. This allows you to attend meetings no matter where you are or what device you are using if you have an internet connection.  

Teams  

The main purpose of Microsoft Teams is to allow users to create or join groups known as teams where you can communicate and collaborate.  

Channels 

A channel is automatically set up when you create your team and is named General. There are two types of channels. Private channels are only accessible to specific members of the team. Standard channels can be accessed by the whole team. They are like subfolders within a folder to ensure all your files remain in one space. Channels provide a place for the team to have discussions, upload and share files about a specific subject.  

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Visit these Microsot training pages for First things to know about teams and channels and to get a Overview of Teams and Channels. 

For more information about Microsoft Teams and the training available to both staff and students, please email Fiona Graham.  

How using Microsoft Office 365 can benefit you

This blogpost was written by Fiona Graham, IT training at St George’s, University of London.

Microsoft Office 365 is one of the most popular IT tools in the world, benefitting people in education, at home, and offices every day to create material, collect and share information via the internet on the go and on any device.  

Being proficient with Office will support you in your studies at university and beyond. Increased productivity and efficiency are only two of the benefits of Microsoft Office 365.

The main apps in Microsoft Office are: 

• Word 
• Excel 
• PowerPoint 
• Outlook 
• Teams 
• OneDrive 

Each application has a different purpose. For example, you can use Word to write assignments, create documents and put together reports, Excel you can use to store, organise, and analyse data. With PowerPoint you can create presentations and videos and Outlook is used to manage email and calendars. In Teams you can collaborate online and attend meetings. OneDrive is key to sharing documents with your colleagues and coediting them.

10 reasons why you want to use Office 365 @St George’s

1. Office 365: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Forms and Sway.  

2. Five installations: Install Office 365 on up to five (5) devices) for one user. 

3. Duration: Available throughout your course with support. 

4. Note-taking: Take notes in OneNote and keep them in the cloud and across devices.  

5. Save to OneDrive: Save documents to OneDrive, so files are always available across devices with 1TB storage space. 

6. Teams: use Teams to stay connected and collaborate with all St. George’s staff and students and others.  

7. Planner: share tasks and keep up to date. 

8. Sway: Create interactive digital presentations 

9. Office on Demand: Use Office 365 on the go on any device. 

10. Easily share content: to co-edit files 

IT training

CTiE provides Microsoft Office training and support at St George’s, University, also covering Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education (joint with Kingston), and St George’s Hospital. 

We provide free: 

• Hands-on training sessions in using Microsoft Office (in person and online).
• Drop-ins via Microsoft Teams to give one-to-one support with specific questions or if you need help with a particular package.  
• One-to-one support available by appointment using this booking form. 

We run a mix of online and in-person workshops throughout the year. Please see our Training and Support web page for current sessions.  

Additionally, there is a range of How to Guides available to download. We also have online tutorials available.

New for Trust staff- BMJ Best Practice

Did you know that access to BMJ Best practice is now provided by Health Education England to all George’s Trust staff ? Login via your OpenAthens account to access this excellent new resource.

What is BMJ Best Practice?

BMJ Best Practice is a clinical decision support tool, uniquely structured around the patient consultation, with advice on symptoms, evaluation, tests to order and treatment approach. The resources cover thousands of clinical topics and over 6,000 clinical guidelines. Access is available anywhere, with online or offline access via the BMJ Best Practice App. You can even  use it to demonstrate learning as it tracks  your searches for clinical information for CPD/CME.

How can Trust staff access BMJ Best Practice?

Follow these 3 easy steps to get started:

Step 1 Access BMJ Best Practice

1. Visit https://bestpractice.bmj.com/
2. Sign in with your OpenAthens username via the ‘Log In’ Link

To register for an OpenAthens account, go to openathens.nice.org.uk or contact the library on liaison@sgul.ac.uk

Step 2 Set up a personal account

A personal account gives you access to extra features such as the app and the ability to track CPD/CME activity and download certificates. You will be prompted to create a personal account on your first visit.

Step 3 Download the app 

First, make sure you have completed step 2 and created a personal account

1. Search for ‘BMJ Best Practice on the App Store or Google Play
2. Select the app and start the download
3. Enter your personal account login details to complete the download.

Links to Best Practice can also be found on the Library’s NHS webpage, A-Z list of databases and NICE Evidence Service’s OpenAthens resource list.

To support you in getting started, download the user guide or visit the FAQ section. If you need any more information, please contact the library on liaison@sgul.ac.uk, ext 5433 or email support@bmj.com.

 

App Review: Dermatology: Medical Student Edition

The latest in our series of app reviews is a guest post by MBBS student Michelle Warncke. If you are interested in reviewing an app or resources for the blog, please email us at: liaison@sgul.ac.uk                      

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Name: Dermatology: Medical Student Edition

Publisher: British Association of Dermatologists

Devices: Available on Android (version 2.2+) and Apple devices

Other requirements: Requires 10MB of memory.

Tested on:  Lenovo P2

Available from: Google Play and the App Store, although the iOS version is currently being re-coded.

Price: Free

For: Anyone who wants to prepare for their YSKTs, OSCEs, or simply to explore dermatology.

• Main Pros: Simple language, lots of pictures and a wide range of topics.
  
• Main Cons: There could be more practice questions with varied pictures.

Type of Information: Handy guides to clinical examinations, dermatology concepts, and different conditions. Exam preparation help with practice questions including how to describe lesions.

 

One of the most difficult points of dermatology is differentiating rashes and learning how to describe them. This app helps practice just that!

The dermatology app includes sections for learning and for examination preparation.

The learning section includes:

• Basic concepts: Anatomy and physiology.
• Essential clinical skills: How to take a dermatology history, how to do an OSCE style examination, and how to describe any lesions you might find.
• Practical skills: Patient education, written communication, prescribing skills, and clinical examination/investigations.
• Disease profiles: Emergencies, infections, cancers, common problems.
• Management: Topical and oral.

The exam section includes:

• Case scenarios
• Picture quizzes
• 113 randomized questions

This free app is very useful because of how simple and clear it is. Its folders are easy to navigate and ordered logically. The descriptions are relatively free of medical jargon, and any more difficult terms are accompanied by very indicative pictures. These pictures are used again in the practice questions. The rehearsal is helpful in making associations and has made even practice questions on other apps easier.  The British Association of Dermatologists designed this app for both medical students and junior doctors, and we can definitely see ourselves using it as a refresher on clinics or on the wards in our foundation years.

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Thanks again to Michelle Warncke for writing this review. Please note, all app reviews on this blog are subject to St George’s Library mobile resources disclaimer. Please take the time to read it carefully.

Times Higher Education: full online access for SGUL staff and students

Update 04/06/19:

The THE app mentioned below is being withdrawn from Thursday 6th June 2019.

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Following an upgrade to our subscription, SGUL staff and students now have unlimited online access to content from Times Higher Education.

THE is a weekly online and print publication carrying news, features and opinion on higher education in the UK and around the world.

To activate your access, you will need to register on the THE homepage using your SGUL email address. Please note that by doing this, you agree to the Times Higher Education cookie policy and terms and conditions.

Setting up your access

1) Visit THE’s homepage at https://www.timeshighereducation.com.

THE website can also be accessed via Hunter, the library’s search tool, via this link.

2) Select the person icon at top right and choose Register.

3) Remember to register with your @sgul.ac.uk email address for full access. You’ll also be asked to choose a password and username.

Accessing content

You should now have full access to all the latest content on the homepage, or you can browse past issues by opening the Professional menu and selecting Digital Editions.

For reading on mobile devices, a free app is available from Google Play or the iTunes App Store. Log in to the app using the username and password you chose when you created your account. You’ll now be able to download current and past issues to your device, read and share articles and save favourites to an in-app scrapbook.  (Update 04/06/19: the THE app is being withdrawn from Thursday 6th June 2019)

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App Review: BNF & BNFc

Name: BNF BNFc

Content producer: BNF Publications

Operating system: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (iOS 8.0 or later 160mb) and Android (4.0.3 or later 116mb)

Available from: iTunes and Google Play

Tested on: Samsung S7

Price: Free

Type of Information: The BNF and BNFc are the primary sources for information on prescribing and medicines licenced in the UK.

For: The publishers say… “The BNF & BNFC App is aimed at prescribers, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals who need sound, up-to-date information about the use of medicines.”

Main pros:

• Contains all of the content from BNF and BNFC in one app
• Easier to navigate with a more intuitive design and enhanced features around search and interactions checking
• New evidence grading feature

Main cons:

• Takes up much more space than the previous two apps combined
• Loss of some features such as bookmarking

A new BNF and BNFc app launched over the summer is set to replace the old NICE BNF and BNFc apps. With the new app combining BNF and BNFc content into a single app it aims to be faster, easier to use and access than the previous apps which will both be withdrawn later this year, users of the old apps will see a banner notifying them of this nearer the time. NICE are encouraging users of their apps to migrate across to the new app and have announced that as of July 2017 the old apps will no longer be updated[1].

The new BNF and BNFc app comes from BNF Publications, the publishing arm of The Royal Pharmaceutical Society. The app is free to download and, unlike the old apps, is purpose built for iOS and Android. The app features offline browsing and searching so users can use the app in settings where there is no internet or Wi-Fi connections. A connection is only required during the initial download and for updating the content monthly.

Information is organised into six sections: Drugs, Treatment summaries, Medical devices, Interactions checker, Borderline substances and Wound care. Users navigate the sections by accessing the menu icon in the top left hand corner of the screen. To alternate between the two formularies users must access the menu and select the drop down arrow at the top to select the formulary they wish to view. The app will remember the formulary selected, even when the app has been closed, until the user changes it.

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The app opens onto the Drugs browse page, the current formulary selected and the section being viewed is always shown at the top of the screen and the app will briefly display the month and year of the content being viewed at the bottom of the screen.

Drugs information can be found by browsing or searching. Users can browse by drug / medicine name by tapping the relevant letter on the a-z list or can search by name using the magnifying glass at the top to reveal the search bar. The search feature has an autocomplete function with suggestions shown as soon as the user starts typing.

Each record contains the same content found in the print and online versions of the BNF and BNFc, with information arranged under the same headings as the print and online versions. Full range monograph information on dose, interactions, side-effects, and cautions are included, as well as information specific to patient groups or profession-specific prescribing.

Treatment summaries are also included in the app and are arranged by the body system they relate to. However, users can also search for treatment summaries by clicking on the magnifying glass at the top of the screen to access the search bar.

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The interactions checker tool allows users to check interactions for one drug or for two or more drugs. Although, each drug record contains full interactions information the interactions checker tool allows users to discover interactions between different combinations of multiple drugs. This tool can be accessed from the main menu or from within a drug monograph via the three dots.

Some of the features which have not been brought across on this app include the bookmarking option. And while the new app has a fresher, simplier colour-scheme, the different formulary branding colours in the previous apps did make it easier for users to differentiate between the two. The app also takes up more space than the previous two apps combined and the clinical content updates are a bit harder to navigate to, as there are now a couple of menu steps to perform to locate them instead of the What’s New tab on the old app.

However, one new feature not available on the older apps is evidence grading. Evidence grading has been in use in BNF Publications since 2016 to reflect the strength of the recommendation to support clinical decision-making based on the best available evidence. At the moment only a small number of clinical recommendations have evidence grading applied, but the publishers promise that more evidence grading will appear with each monthly update. The evidence grading feature can be switched on or off in the settings part of the main menu.

On the whole the app performs better and is easier to navigate and unlike the NICE apps an OpenAthens account is no longer required for the app to work, although the publishers do make it clear that the app is for NHS users only – for those interested in eligibility please see the T&C Section 14, Definitions: NHS Users. More information can be found at BNF & BNFc App FAQs.

All posts on this blog are subject to the St George’s Library Disclaimer, please take the time to read it carefully.

[1] https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/new-improved-bnf-and-bnfc-app-launched

App Review: DynaMed Plus

Name: DynaMed Plus

Publisher: EBSCOhost

Devices: Any iPhone® or iPad® or iPod touch® running iOS 9.3

or higher. Any Android device running Android 4.4 or higher.
The app requires at least 500MB of memory.
Can be authenticated on up to 3 devices per activation link.

We’ve tested this app on an iPhone 6 and an iPad Air2.

Available from: iTunes App Store or Google Play

This app is available to NHS staff and SGUL staff and students.

*Details on how to download and authenticate the app are included at the end of the post.*

Price: Free to download

Type of information: Clinical decision making support tool.

For: doctors and other healthcare professionals at point of care, and healthcare students.

Main Pros: Similar in design, layout and functionality to the web-based version. Content available offline after initial download. Links to full-text supporting articles and guidelines within topic summaries where available.

Main Cons: Requires around 1GB of storage space depending on device. Link to calculators not available on home screen of the app, unlike the web-based version, requires a separate search to access them.

An in-depth look

The DynaMed Plus app is the app version of a point of care resource that St George’s Library subscribes to. It provides access to over 3,400 clinical summaries covering a broad range of specialties and is designed to support healthcare professionals in clinical decision making. It covers the same content as found on the web-based version of DynaMed Plus, with the added benefit of being accessible offline. However, the content can require a fair amount of storage space on your device. The publishers recommend to have a minimum of 500MB free, but in our testing we’ve found the App has required around 906 MB on iPad Air 2 and 1.16GB on an iPhone 6. Presumably this will likely increase as more content is added and updated over time.

In terms of functionality the app is really simple to use and fairly intuitive – it is almost identical in layout and design to the web-based version which presents a nice continuity of usage. The home screen presents you with a search bar and in the top-right hand corner you’ll find a Bookmark icon which houses your previously saved pages, and search history. There is also a settings icon that allows you to change the text size, check for updates to the app and search the help pages, which does require an internet connection.

The search function has an intelligent auto-suggest feature, which will show you your results in the form of topics and searches that match your terms as you type. You can then either review the topic summary directly, or view the search terms instead. Once you are viewing a topic you can scroll through the entire summary as you would a web page, or you can browse by section. How you do this depends on how you are holding your device. In landscape view the section headings can be found on the left of the summary, allowing the user to dip in and out of the topic sections. Holding the device in portrait forces the section headings into a separate bar at the top – you can navigate these by selecting the magnifying glass icon that will appear on the top right of the screen, next to the topic summary heading. There are also other icons in the bottom right of the page that allow you to bookmark the summary, email or print the topic, or make notes if required. If you do any notes to the summary, the empty notepad icon will fill with lines to indicate you have done so.

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Many of the topic summaries provide external links to webpages and supporting articles which will display the article abstract or full-text article if available through an institutional subscription (OpenAthens or St George’s, University of London). Again, despite the app content being available offline you will need to be connected to the internet to access anything linked outside of the app.

Despite being very easy to use, some of the resource’s most useful features are buried within the app somewhat, which is unfortunate. The calculators and decision trees have a direct link in the title bar of the web-version, but no counterpart within the app. They can be found by searching for them, which isn’t as user friendly as a link or icon. This can also be said for the thousands of supporting images the resource has – they can be found and browsed in your search matches, but we felt that embedding them in their own section within the topic summary would make them much more identifiable.

Available to SGUL staff and students

PDF for how to download DynaMed Plus App for SGUL staff and students

Available to NHS Staff

How to download and authenticate the DynaMed Plus app for NHS Staff:

1. Access DynaMed Plus via NHS OpenAthens or the Hospital intranet page

2. Click on the Mobile use – Get the DynaMed Mobile App link under Spotlight.

3. Enter your email address and click send.

4. An authentication link is emailed to you.

5. Open the email from your device and follow the links to download the app via the iTunes Store or Google Play.

6. When prompted, authenticate the app via the OpenAthens link- look for the Athens link at the bottom of the authentication page.

Note: If you do not tap the authentication link in the email within 48 hours you will need to request a new authentication key from within DynaMed Plus.

7. The DynaMed Plus App opens on your device and begins the initial content download.

Note: It is recommended that you are on a Wi-Fi connection for the initial download of DynaMed Plus content as well as when updates become available. Initial download can take up between 10-30 minutes.

Getting more help

DynaMed Plus have produced this useful video to get you started with DynaMed Plus.

If you need support with your OpenAthens account please contact Stephen Reid sreid@sgul.ac.uk

NHS Staff who are eligible for an OpenAthens account can register here: https://openathens.nice.org.uk/

For training or if you have any questions about access to DynaMed Plus please contact liaison@sgul.ac.uk

 

 

Changes to downloading e-books from Dawsonera *revised*

The process for downloading e-books from Dawsonera is changing. You may
have already noticed this change for some Dawsonera e-books and it will
apply to all Dawsonera e-books from 31st October 2017.

From a SGUL desktop computer or laptop

We advise you to use the read online option if you are
using a university computer or library laptop to access Dawsonera e-books.

From your own computer or mobile device

If you want to download a Dawsonera e-book onto your own desktop computer,
laptop, or mobile device, you will need to install free software as
described below.

• To download Dawsonera e-books to your own desktop or laptop, you will
  need to install Adobe Digital Editions (ADE).
  
• To download Dawsonera e-books to an iOS (Apple) or Android device, you
  will need to first download the BlueFire Reader app, which is available from the Apple and Google play stores.
• How to download ADE or BlueFire Reader and access your Dawsonera e-book:
  1. Create an Adobe ID if you don’t already have one. Visit theAdobe website, click “ Sign in”, then “Get an Adobe ID”. Fill in the online form to sign up for an ID.
  2. Download ADE or BlueFire Reader, and authorise the software with your Adobe ID.
  3. Access the e-book on Dawsonera as normal, and choose to download to
     either Adobe Digital Editions or BlueFire Reader as appropriate.
• Adobe have also provided this clip on how to create an Adobe ID

App Review: BMJ Best Practice

Name: BMJ Best Practice

Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group

Devices: Smartphones and tablets with Android OS 4.2 or later and iPhones and iPads with iOS version 7.0 or later. We tested this app on an iPad.

Available from: iTunes App Store or Google Play.

Price: Free.

Available to SGUL students and staff only. Details on how to access the full content are included at the end of the post.

Type of information: Point of care, clinical decision making support tool.

For: UK healthcare professionals and healthcare students.

Main Pros: This new version of the app (released in 2017) requires substantially less storage on your device. Content is available offline after the initial download so it can be accessed at any time. Condition summaries contain links to relevant guidelines and papers. Daily content updates and the CME/CPD tracker can help keep you up-to-date in your chosen specialty.

Main Cons: A personal subscription is necessary for those without institutional access. Savings in storage capacity have been made by not including images in the downloaded data – they are now only available when using the app online. Initial search function was quite basic, but this has been addressed in a recent update.

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BMJ Best Practice provides access to reliable information and guidance on hundreds of medical conditions that can be used to support you in clinical decision-making. This companion app to the web version of BMJ Best Practice is designed to be used on the move and after an initial download, content can be accessed when offline, which is particularly convenient if you are unable to connect to Wi-Fi.

This new version of the app will be familiar to anyone who has used it before, with the majority of changes being cosmetic and offering a cleaner, more responsive experience. New users should find the app intuitive and easy to navigate. The home screen offers a simple layout with a central search bar, and the icons at the bottom of the screen allow you to browse by speciality; browse the available calculators or quickly locate information you have recently or commonly referred to.

Condition summaries are broken down into sections and subsections, such as ‘Diagnosis’, ‘Treatment’ and ‘Management’ or you can use the ‘Highlights’ section for a quick summary and overview. This highlights section will also link to related conditions, or to clinical guidelines where appropriate. Each topic has a ‘Last Updated’ date underneath the heading so you can be sure the information is current and you can browse through all of the sections by swiping from right to left, or by using the back button to choose a different section. This is especially helpful in longer, more complex entries.

Where necessary, summaries will contain links to relevant guidelines, resources and articles which will then open in your device’s browser when connected to the internet. You can explore these as you read, or refer to the ‘Resources’ section for the full reference list. Links to the full-text of an article will also appear if the article or study features in a journal that the Library subscribes to.

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Download Instructions (for SGUL staff and students)

[PDF instructions available here]

1. Create a ‘My Best Practice’ personal account on the BMJ Best Practice website (http://bestpractice.bmj.com/) whilst onsite at SGUL, using a computer in the Library Computer Rooms, a Library laptop or a device connected to the St. George’s eduroam WiFi network; or offsite, after logging in via Shibboleth.
   Remember the email address and password used to create the account.
2. Download the app from the iTunes app store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
3. Launch the app. When asked to log in, use the same email address and password you used to create your My Best Practice account.
   
4. The app content will automatically begin to download. It will take about 5 minutes on a good WiFi connection.

Remember!!
Your subscription must be renewed every six months by logging into your My Best Practice personal account on the BMJ Best Practice website http://bestpractice.bmj.com/ while onsite using a computer in the Library Computer Rooms, a Library laptop or a device connected to the St George’s eduroam WiFi network; or offsite, after logging in via Shibboleth.

If you experience any difficulties in downloading the app, or need any assistance in using it, email us at liaison@sgul.ac.uk

All review of mobile resources are subject to the St George’s Library Disclaimer, please take the time to read it carefully.

Quick Look: NICE Guidance

*Update – 8th November 2018*

The NICE guidance app is now in the process of being phased out, with a view to it being withdrawn by the 31st December 2018. More information from NICE can be found here.

Name: NICE Guidance

Publisher: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Devices:
Android: requires Android 4.0 and up.
iPhone/iPad: iOS 6.0 or later. App size: 5.8MB
*We tested this on an iPad*

Available from:      Google Play , iTunes and Windows

Price: Free

Type of information:  The app provides mobile access to NICE guidelines for healthcare professionals and students. The evidence-based guidelines offer current pathways for the diagnoses, prognosis and treatment of many health problems. There are hundreds of conditions and diseases covered, as well as different public health topics.

Main pros: 

• Easy to use
• Clean interface
• Official guidelines from NICE
• Handy mobile tool

Main cons:  

• Text heavy
• Limited personalisation features

The updated NICE Guidance app from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence offers on-the-move guidance for healthcare professionals and students. With over 760 topics and guidelines, as well as thousands of individual chapters, the app is text heavy. However, the in-app search box makes it easy to extract information quickly. The app also allows users to browse by topic and by guideline type.

The app is available through NICE and provides access to official NICE evidence-based guidelines which are used to keep health and social care professionals up-to-date on pathways in diagnosing and treating health problems. The information within the app is of a high-quality. Sections include clinical guidelines, cancer service guidelines and public health guidelines. One of the most beneficial features is the new and updated guidance section. New guidelines will automatically update on your device to keep you informed of any developments within healthcare guidelines.

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The app’s interface is uncluttered and easily navigable. You can also personalise the app, although these features are limited. Individual chapters can be bookmarked for use offline, which is useful for keeping track of specialist areas of interest. However, the text cannot be highlighted or annotated.

This app is a good aid for speedy and accurate guidance for the busy healthcare worker, but don’t expect more than what it says on the tin. Overall, the app is intuitive and easy to use and could be a handy mobile tool to have in your pocket!

All posts on this blog are subject to the St George’s Library Disclaimer, please take the time to read it carefully.

Updated: Aug 2017