Online LATCH.

Abstract

The LATCH program developed as a means of expanding the library's circle of communication. Online LATCH was initiated to save time, reduce paperwork and to provide information that impacts directly on patient care. Initiated at the unit by physicians or nurses, the LATCH request is typed onto the CRT, relayed through the Hospital Information System (HIS), and is picked up by the library staff who forward the literature directly to the unit to be attached to the patient record. Eighty-nine per cent of LATCH requests are answered the same day. Online LATCH demonstrates a shift in identification of the library as an isolated unit to an interactive resource center.