Where to Find Evidence-Based Medicine
- Cochrane LibraryA collection of databases containing high quality, in-depth evidence to assist in healthcare decision making. Includes the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, which provides peer-reviewed systematic reviews and protocols.
- CINAHL CompleteCINAHL®Complete is the world’s most comprehensive source of full-text for nursing & allied health journals, providing full text for more than 1,300 journals indexed in CINAHL. This authoritative file contains full text for many of the most used journals in the CINAHL index, with no embargo. CINAHL®Complete is the definitive research tool for all areas of nursing & allied health literature.
- Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityYou can search or browse AHRQ for evidence-based reports across different medical specialties.
- REHAB+A database of evidence-based reviews from McMaster University. Requires users to register before searching.
What is Evidence Based Practice?
- Evidence Based Practice Series (Duke/UNC)A series of modules that will help you follow the 5 A's (assess, ask, acquire, appraise, apply) of using EBP.
PICO
Formulating a strong clinical question is the first step in the research process. PICO is a way of building clinical research questions that allow you to focus your research, and to create a query that better matches most medical databases.
- Patient – Describe your patient or population. What are the most important characteristics? Include information on age, race, gender, medical conditions, etc.
- Intervention – What is the main intervention or therapy you are considering? The can be as general as treat or observe, or as specific as a specific test or therapy.
- Comparison Intervention – An alternative intervention or therapy you wish to compare to the first.
- Outcome – What are you trying to do for the patient? What is the clinical outcome? What are the relevant outcomes?
Example: In a (describe patient) can (intervention A) affect (outcome) compared with (intervention B)?
- In a 50 year old man with diabetes is weight loss and exercise or medication better at maintaining healthy blood sugar levels?
- Patient - 50 yr old man with diabetes
- Intervention - weight loss and exercise
- Comparison - medication
- Outcome - maintaining blood sugar levels
