What Databases and Clinical Resources Does Lane Medical Library Provide?

Lane Medical Library at Stanford University School of Medicine provides a curated set of databases and clinical tools organized under its "Top Resources" list. The collection spans literature search, point-of-care clinical decision support, drug and pharmacology references, and anatomy/imaging tools. If you are a Stanford-affiliated user looking for a specific resource type — literature, clinical answers, drug safety, or visual diagnosis — the list below maps each need to the relevant tool.

Literature Search and Citation Databases

These are the core resources for finding published research, systematic reviews, and citation data.

PubMed is the broadest starting point for biomedical literature and includes clinical practice guidelines alongside primary studies. Web of Science and Scopus are better suited when you need citation metrics or to trace how a paper has been cited. Embase adds stronger pharmacology and conference-abstract coverage.

Point-of-Care and Clinical Decision Resources

These tools are designed for quick answers at the point of care rather than comprehensive literature review.

• UpToDate — A point-of-care clinical information resource containing succinct and aggressively updated clinical topic reviews.
• DynaMed — Point-of-care clinical decision support with topic reviews and evidence summaries.
• ClinicalKey — Full-text clinical reference and textbook content.
• Sanford Guide — Antimicrobial therapy guidance.

UpToDate is the most frequently cited example of a point-of-care tool here: its topic reviews are written for clinicians who need a current answer quickly, and the content is updated aggressively rather than on a slow publication cycle. Use it when you need a clinical recommendation, not when you need to read every primary study on a topic.

Drug and Pharmacology Resources

• Lexidrug — Drug information and pharmacology reference.
• Micromedex — Drug, toxicology, and clinical information database.
• Sanford Guide — Antimicrobial therapy recommendations.

Lexidrug and Micromedex both cover drug dosing, interactions, and safety, but they come from different content providers, so it is worth checking which one your institution's formulary or workflow references. Sanford Guide is narrower and focused specifically on antimicrobial treatment.

Anatomy, Imaging, and Visual Diagnosis Tools

• e-Anatomy — Interactive medical imaging and anatomical atlas.
• Complete Anatomy — 3D anatomy platform (also featured in the library's blog content).
• VisualDx — Visual clinical decision support for dermatology and other visually diagnosed conditions.

These are useful when the question is anatomical or visual rather than textual. VisualDx, for example, is built around differential diagnosis from images, which makes it a different kind of tool from a literature database.

How to Choose Based on Your Task

Access and Support

Lane provides full-text access to its resources, and the library also offers classes and events — for example, sessions on integrating AI tools into research workflows, data analysis with R, and navigating NIH compliance across the research lifecycle. If you are unsure which database fits your question, the library's research and instruction librarians (listed on the site, including a Bioresearch Informationist and Research & Instruction Librarians) are the appropriate contact point.

One practical note: the specific databases available to you depend on your affiliation and current subscriptions, so confirm access through the library's site rather than assuming a listed resource is reachable from off-campus.