Citing Hospital Protocols: A Guide To Properly Format References

how to cite protocols from a hospital

Citing protocols from a hospital requires an understanding of the specific citation style being used, such as APA, AMA, or Harvard referencing. For example, in APA style, internal hospital documents that are not publicly available should be anonymised, with the author or organisation name replaced with a generic identifier, such as Hospital A. Additionally, if the date of access is unknown, n.d. can be used in its place. In contrast, the AMA style for citing protocols focuses on the author(s), protocol name, book title, edition, publisher, and year. Harvard referencing, on the other hand, includes the author, year, title, series or publication number, place of publication, publisher, DOI or URL, and access date.

Characteristics Values
Workplace documents Confidential; anonymise the author/organisation name if necessary
Date unknown Write "n.d." in place of the date
Document accessibility Cite like any other organisational document found on the web if it can be accessed by someone outside the hospital
Document inaccessibility Follow APA guidelines for citing documents that are not shared publicly
Reference style APA, Harvard, AMA
APA format Name of Organisation or Author. (Date). Title. URL
Harvard style Author (Year) Title. Series or publication number (if given). Place of publication: Publishers. If accessed online, include the DOI or, if this is not available, the URL, followed by the date of access in the format (Accessed: 21 February 2018)
AMA style Author(s). Protocol name. In: editor(s), ed. Book Title. Edition number (do not indicate 1st edition). Publisher name; copyright year:pages of protocol

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Citing internal documents

When citing internal documents from a hospital, there are a few guidelines and styles you can follow. Firstly, it is important to maintain confidentiality and anonymity when citing internal documents. If the document is confidential, consider anonymising the author or organisation's name, for example, by using a generic name like "Hospital A". If the date is unknown, you can use "n.d." in place of the date.

Another factor to consider is the accessibility of the document. If the internal document can be accessed by someone outside the hospital or organisation, it can be cited like any other web-based organisational document. The general format for citing a website with an organisational author in APA style is as follows:

> Name of Organisation or Author. (Date). Title. URL

>

For example: NSW Ministry of Health. (2022). Protecting people and property: NSW Health policy and standards for security risk management in NSW Health agencies. www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/manuals/Pages/protecting-people-property.aspx

If you are using the Harvard referencing style, the general format is as follows:

> Author (Year) Title. Series or publication number (if given). Place of publication: Publishers. If accessed online, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or, if this is not available, use the URL, followed by the date of access in brackets (Accessed: date).

For internal documents that are not publicly available but can be accessed by the marker or intended audience, specific guidelines may apply depending on the referencing style you are using. For example, APA has guidelines for citing such documents.

Additionally, when citing protocols specifically, the AMA style provides the following structure:

> Author(s). Protocol name. In: editor(s), ed. Book Title. Edition number (do not indicate 1st edition). Publisher name; copyright year:pages of protocol.

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Anonymising sensitive information

When citing protocols from a hospital, it is essential to anonymise sensitive information to protect patient privacy and confidentiality. Here are some detailed instructions to achieve this:

Firstly, establish a consistent standard for anonymising data within your hospital. This involves ensuring that all medical departments follow the same procedures when sharing information externally. By using a platform like ShareMedix, you can automate the anonymisation process, saving time, reducing errors, and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA.

Secondly, assess the sensitivity of the information. This includes identifying any personally identifiable information (PII) that could directly or indirectly reveal a patient's identity. Examples include names, identification numbers, physical or physiological characteristics, and other factors specific to an individual's economic, cultural, or social identity.

Thirdly, remove or redact any identifiable information. This may involve replacing names with generic identifiers, obscuring facial features in images or videos, and removing specific details that could lead to identification.

Additionally, consider using secure websites when sharing sensitive information. Look for indicators like "https://" or a lock symbol in the address bar, which signify a secure connection to an official website. This ensures that any information transmitted is encrypted and protected from unauthorised access.

Finally, implement access controls and data sharing protocols. This includes managing how long data is shared and with whom. Restrict access to only those who require the information and for the duration necessary. Regularly review and revoke access when it is no longer required. By following these measures, you can effectively anonymise sensitive information while maintaining compliance and protecting patient privacy.

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Harvard referencing style

When citing hospital protocols in Harvard referencing style, there are a few key components to include. Firstly, identify the author, which could be the name of the hospital or a specific department within the hospital responsible for the protocol. Next, provide the year of publication or, if it is unpublished, the year of creation. Then, include the title of the protocol or guideline, followed by any series or publication numbers associated with it. If the protocol is available online, provide the URL or, if available, the Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Finally, include the date you accessed the information. Here is an example:

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (2020) Ciclosporin after bone marrow transplant. 2020F0542. Available at: https://media.gosh.nhs.uk/documents/Ciclosporin_after_BMT_F0542_FINAL_May20_0.pdf (Accessed: 30 May 2023).

If you are referencing local hospital guidelines that are only available in the area you are working, you may only need to provide the details of the trust or hospital that published the guidelines, along with an "unpublished" indication:

Local guideline, 2024. Planning the post-operative care for a patient following ileostomy formation (Ward information), Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust [unpublished].

When citing within the text of your document, you would use the author-date method, providing the author's name followed by the date of publication in parentheses, for example: (Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, 2020). If you are citing multiple sources with the same author and year, use lowercase letters to distinguish between them, for example: (Smith, 2017a; Smith, 2017b).

Remember, it is essential to maintain consistency in your referencing style, following any specific guidelines provided by your institution or publication.

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AMA style

AMA citation format, designed by the American Medical Association, is a citation style commonly used in the medical field. It is required when submitting to a journal published by the AMA.

An AMA in-text citation is a superscript number that appears at the point in the text where information from another source is included. The superscript number should be placed so that it's clear what information is being cited. For example, you can place it after mentioning the author's name or after a quotation. The number appears after any commas, periods, or quotation marks.

An AMA reference usually includes the author's last name and initials, the title of the source, information about the publisher or the publication it's contained in, and the publication date. For example:

> Sloan JA, Cella D, Hays RD. Clinical significance of patient-reported questionnaire data: another step toward consensus. J Clin Epidemiol. 2005;58:1217-1219.

References in AMA style are presented in numerical order (numbered in the order they were first cited in the text) on a separate reference page. A source that is cited repeatedly in the text still only appears once on the reference page.

To include page numbers (for example, when quoting), present them in parentheses after the citation number, without any spacing. A single page number is preceded by "p," and a range or list of page numbers by "pp." For example:

> Multiple sources1,3(pp115–121),5 support this theory. However, Wekesa6(p13) contends that …

The AMA Manual of Style is a comprehensive resource for anyone involved in medical, health, and scientific publishing. It covers various citation formats, including how to cite digital publications, preprints, databases, data repositories, podcasts, apps, interactive games, and social media.

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APA format for websites

When citing protocols from a hospital in APA format, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, if the protocol is an internal document that is confidential, it may be necessary to anonymise the author or organisation's name, referring to it as "Hospital A", for example. If the date of the protocol is unknown, use "n.d." in place of the date.

If the protocol is accessible only via the hospital's intranet, it should be cited as a personal communication, with only an in-text citation and no reference citation. Include the initials and last name of the communicator, or if their name is included in the sentence, simply write "(personal communication, date)". For example: "According to internal documentation from Hospital A (personal communication, 2022)...".

If the protocol can be accessed by someone outside the hospital, it can be cited like any other web document. The basic format for citing a website with an organisational author in APA style is as follows:

Author or Organisation. (Date). Title. URL

For example:

> NSW Ministry of Health. (2022). Protecting people and property: NSW Health policy and standards for security risk management in NSW Health agencies. www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/manuals/Pages/protecting-people-property.aspx

If the protocol does not have a title, provide a general description and put it in brackets along with the format. For example:

> Author or Creator. (Date). [Description of work and format]. URL

This might look like:

> Uthoff, S. & Miller, S. (2019). Information literacy for students [PowerPoint slides]. https://example.com

Frequently asked questions

Author (Year) Title. Series or publication number (if given). Place of publication: Publishers. If accessed online, the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or URL should be included, followed by the date of access.

If the date is unknown, write "n.d." in its place. If the document is confidential, anonymise the hospital name, for example, "Hospital A".

Author(s). Protocol name. In: editor(s), ed. Book Title. Edition number. Publisher name; copyright year:pages of the protocol.

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