Selecting Resources
Evidence-Based Practice requires that clinicians find the best answers to clinical questions.
There are literally millions of published reports, journal articles, correspondence and studies available to clinicians. Choosing the best resource to search is an important decision.
- To be aware of new evidence, you may subscribe to current awareness emails, text alerts and EBP journals.
- To quickly find an answer, you will probably first look at an pre-appraised resource, such as DynaMed or UpToDate.
- To find elusive or most current evidence, search your PICO in PubMed.
| PURPOSE |
RESOURCE |
| Alerts | Evidence Updates - subscribe to email alerting services that report on original studies and systematic reviews that warrant immediate attention by physicians attempting to keep pace with "practice-changing" evidence. All EPB resources have an "alert" feature which can be activated upon login registration. |
| Current awareness | EBP Journals - receive the lastest EBP journal issues on your mobile device via Browzine. |
| Find an answer | Go to pre-appraised EBP resources (DynaMed Plus, UptoDate) that synthesize the evidence from primary literature and provide objective analysis in an easily-digestible format.The Cochrane Library provides access to systematic reviews which summarize the results from multiple RCTs. |
|
Create the answer |
Go to PubMed when you cannot find the answer in pre-appraised resources or the topic is timely and you suspect there is newer information in the journal literature |
Evidence Updates Email Alerts
Register to receive weekly email alerts from trusted providers.
- DynaMedregister at the E-Newsletter tab. DynaMed Weekly Update is a compilation of one to five articles most likely to change clinical practice.
Pre-Appraised EBP Resources - Find an Answer
Learn the strengths and weakness of these tools by reviewing clinical topics in more than one resource (e.g., DynaMed AND UpToDate AND Cochrane) to get a feel for differences.
Caveat: EB resources are not created equal; there is debate about how quickly critical evidence is incorporated into EBP resources.
- Cochrane Library
Contains high-quality, independent evidence that combines the results of the world's best medical research studies to inform healthcare decision-making.
- DynaMed
Provides evidence-based, clinically-organized summaries. Summaries are based on review of over 500 core clinical journals and systematic review databases. Updated weekly.
- UpToDate
Peer-reviewed clinical information system supports point-of-care decision making. For assistance on account access, contact Jim Panacio.
- Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) Evidence Report SummariesDownload evidence-based summaries from the Evidence-based Practice Program of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (formerly the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research - AHCPR). The summaries are created by the twelve Evidence-Based Practice Centers under contract to the AHRQ. To download the summaries, click on the MobiPocket icon on the Table of Contents page. This will allow you to download both the summaries and the MobiPocket software necessary to read them.
- SUMSearchfree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine a single gateway that searches Merck Manual, MEDLINE for review articles, editorials, and original research, National Guideline Clearinghouse from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), and Database of Abstract of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE).
- Trip Database
Clinical search tool designed to allow health professionals to rapidly identify the highest quality evidence for clinical practice. Basic registration is free, and users benefit from extra features such as CPD, search history, and collaborative tools.
Primary Search - Formulate the Question
"Pre-appraised resources are limited by delayed processing, insufficient coverage, or cost. Thus, PubMed remains the most popular search engine used to retrieve original studies, either alone or as a complement to preappraised resources."Sensitivity and predictive value of 15 PubMed search strategies to answer clinical questions rated against full systematic reviews. Agoritsas T, Merglen A, Courvoisier DS, et al. J Med Internet Res. 2012;14(3):e85. Do a PubMed search when:
- you cannot find the answer you need in pre-appraised resources
- the topic is timely and you believe there is more current information in the journal literature
- for reasons related to location and/or licensing, you do not have access to pre-appraised resources
PubMed is a very large database with over 22 million citations. Remember the usefulness equation: you want to get the best evidence with the least amount of work
(Relevance x Validity) / Work = Usefulness of Information
To search PubMed, you need a focused question and a targeted search strategy.
Our PICO is: In patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, is bariatric surgery more effective than standard medical therapy at increasing the probability of remission of diabetes?
