Evidence based medicine resources
December 2007
- Introduction
- Print resources
- Database resources
- Web resources
- Training resources
- Other organisations and libraries
The practice of evidence based medicine (EBM) is evolving rapidly and it is becoming one of the most important areas for clinicians and health practitioners. The BMJ Publishing Group already publishes several specialist journals and BMJ Clinical Evidence.
Several British centres for EBM have been established and details can be found through their websites as listed below.
Sackett and others have defined EBM as: "the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research." ( BMJ 1996; 312: 71-72).
Further definitions of EBM are provided by the University of Sheffield, School of Health & Related Research (ScHARR):
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~scharr/ir/def.html
One simple way of categorising evidence based resources is as follows:
- Reviews - telling the full story.
- Guidelines - implementing the full story.
- Digests - a pointer in the right direction (can be both article and topic based)
If you are are interested in finding out more you might like to join us on one of our regular BMA library Finding the Evidence courses.
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Details of UK based EBM mailing lists are given at:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/mailinglists/category/A4.htm
Print resources
EBM books are kept in the Reading Room at W 99, although there are others in the BMA or basement collections. Books on EBM in more specific fields, such as evidence-based cardiology, are kept with other books on that subject.
BMJ Clinical Evidence
A central source of evidence-based medicine, BMJ Clinical Evidence is designed to save you time and assist in your clinical decision making.
It provides a succinct account of the current state of knowledge about the prevention and treatment of a wide range of clinical conditions based on thorough searches of the literature. All the It summarises the best available evidence.
http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/index.jsp
BMA Library holds the following EBM journals:
Evidence-based Medicine
BMJ Publishing Group ISSN 1356-5524
A digest of the very best new research of direct relevance to medical practice
http://ebm.bmjjournals.com/
Evidence-based Mental Health
BMJ Publishing Group ISSN 1362-0347
A quarterly digest of the most important clinical research of relevance to clinicians in mental health:
http://ebmh.bmjjournals.com/
ACP Journal Club, supplement to Annals of Internal Medicine
American College of Physicians
Online access of ACP members and subscribers
http://www.acpjc.org
Bandolier
One of the earliest sources of EBM information in the UK and worldwide for both healthcare professionals and consumers. The award winning electronic version of Bandolier has over one million visitors each month from all over the world. The journal is subcription based and is only available on the web after six months. The website is free.
Go to the Bandolier journal website here http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/journal.html.
Go to the Bandolier website here http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/index.html
Other articles and books include:
Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper : the basics of evidence based medicine. 2nd ed. BMJ Books, 2001
BMA location: BMA 911
(Also available as an e-book to BMA members: http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/LIBebooksmem?Open&Login )
Greenhalgh T, Donald A. Evidence based health care workbook : understanding research : for individual and group learning : based on the book How to Read a Paper. BMJ Books, 1999
BMA location: BMA 1498
(Also available as an e-book to BMA members: http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/LIBebooksmem?Open&Login )
Sackett DL et al. Evidence-based medicine: what it is and what it isn't. BMJ 1996; 312: 71-2
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/312/7023/71
Sacket DL. Evidence-based medicine : how to practice and teach EBM. 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, 2000
BMA location: W 99
Yeager KR, Roberts AR. Evidence-based practice manual : research and outcome measures in health and human services. Oxford Univ. P. 2004
BMA location : W 99
Database resources
Cochrane Library
Launched in 1995 and now made available by Wiley Interscience, is a quarterly updated electronic database containing systematic reviews and other information to assist in making diagnostic, treatment, and other healthcare decisions. It is considered the most comprehensive source of reference for those with an interest in evidence-based healthcare.
The Cochrane Library includes the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews - a collection of systematic reviews of the effects of health care, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register - a bibliography of over 70 000 controlled trials, and the Cochrane Review Methodology Database. It also now incorporates three NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination databases. The Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) is a database of high quality systematic research reviews of the effectiveness of healthcare interventions. The Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA) contains abstracts of technology assessments published by agencies around the world. The NHS Economic Evaluation database (NHSEED) contains economic evaluations of health care, given detailed abstracts, written by an international team of health economists.
The Cochrane Library is now distributed by Wiley Interscience:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/106568753/HOME
Those in the UK may also search the full Cochrane Library, for free, via the NeLH web site.
As well as a part of the full Cochrane Library DARE, HTA and NHSEED may all be searched in full, for free, via the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination web site.
Evidence Based On Call (EBOC)
Database developed by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and the University of Oxford. This website is designed for clinicians who want to integrate the best available evidence with their own personal skills and expertise to improve the care of their patients. It can be used by any clinician, at any stage of their training, to inform debate and assist with decisions.
Access is available, for free, from the EBOC web site here.
MEDLINE
Has not provided adequate facilities to search for EBM papers until relatively recently. Searchers can now use randomized controlled trials and other evidence-based medicine related subject headings. Several institutions have developed filters which limit search results to those providing high quality evidence (follow the link at
http://www.herts.ac.uk/lis/subjects/health/ebm.htm).
Remote users of the BMA library's MEDLINE Plus service may request that two standard filters be set up as saved searches for them, which can be used to limit results to either randomised controlled trials or systematic reviews. For further help with search filters users may contact the MEDLINE Plus help desk:
Tel.: 020 7383 6224
Email the Medline Plus helpdesk: info.medline@bma.org.uk.
Turning Research into Practice (TRIP)
Database, hosted by the Centre for Research Support in Wales, which aims to support those working in primary care. The TRIP Database searches over 75 sites of high-quality medical information. TRIP is an excellent facility for searching across a number of evidence-based resources in combination. As of September 2006 TRIP is completely free to access.
http://www.tripdatabase.com
Web resources
ScHARR's Netting the Evidence
The most comprehensive list of evidence-based resources available. Links are now tagged and divided into eight main categories, library, searching, appraising, implementing, software, journals, databases and organisations.