Update (April 15): UpToDate access has been discontinued effective April 14, earlier than the previously communicated date of April 30. This change was communicated after the original publication on April 8 and has been added here for accuracy.
To members of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
The McGill University Libraries, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and our affiliated hospital partners have made a collaborative decision to discontinue our institutional subscription to UpToDate and transition to DynaMed as our clinical decision support resource.
Discontinuation of UpToDate
The cost of UpToDate recently and unexpectedly rose by 100%. Therefore, continuing our institutional subscription is no longer financially feasible.
UpToDate will be available until April 30, to allow faculty and students who are not familiar with DynaMed the time to familiarize themselves with this trusted clinical support tool.
Adoption of DynaMed
DynaMed compares in quality and functionality with UpToDate. DynaMed:
- offers comprehensive, evidence‑based clinical information
- is recognized by accreditation bodies as meeting the required standards
- allows users to acquire CME credits.
Access to DynaMed:
- McGill faculty and students, including clinical faculty, already have access to DynaMed.
- Clinical faculty with a McGill appointment will need their McGill email address and password for access.
- Clinicians who do not have a McGill appointment will receive access in mid-April.
Supporting You Through the Transition
For those of you who do not currently use DynaMed, please know that we will support you during this transition. We are currently working with hospital partners, Schulich Library librarians and staff members, and other key stakeholders to ensure you receive updated guides, support materials, and contacts for assistance.
Timeline
- Mid-April: Clinicians without McGill credentials will be able to access DynaMed and will receive information on how to access and sign into the app.
- Mid-April: You will receive updated support materials, guides and contacts for assistance.
- April 30: Access to UpToDate will be discontinued.
We appreciate your understanding as we navigate this transition. Our priority is to ensure that users continue to have access to reliable, evidence-based clinical information that supports teaching, research, and patient care.
If you have questions at this stage, please direct them to lorie.kloda@mcgill.ca, who will be pleased to assist.
Sincerely,
Lorie Kloda, MLIS, PhD
Vice-Dean, McGill University Libraries
Jean-Pierre Farmer, MDCM, FRCSC
Associate Vice-Principal and Vice-Dean, Health Affairs
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences