Evidence Based Practice Resources

Resources for Identifying Research Literature

In the following guide, you will find a selection of Evidence Based Practice Resources. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact a librarian at Bracken Health Sciences library.

Evidence Based Practice Databases

EBP Databases

Resources listed in this section provide some type of evidence based analysis, synthesis and/or summary of a particular topic, study or question that will aid in evidence based decision making.

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Summarises the current state of knowledge and uncertainty about the prevention and treatment of clinical conditions, based on thorough searches and appraisal of the literature. Describing the best available evidence from systematic reviews, RCTs and observational studies where appropriate, the database is intended as a tool for clinicians, and thereby patients, to help them make evidence-based healthcare decisions.
Collection of high-quality, independent evidence databases to inform healthcare decision-making at all levels.
The Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database allows you to search simultaneously, a wide range of summarized and appraised evidence, to inform your practice. This comprehensive range of resources includes over 3,000 records across seven publication types: Evidence Based Recommended Practices, Evidence Summaries, Best Practice Information Sheets, Systematic Reviews, Consumer Information Sheets, Systematic Review Protocols, and Technical Reports.
Evidence-based information about complementary and alternative therapies. Information is incorporated into comprehensive monographs which are designed to facilitate clinical decision making.
The CRD undertakes reviews of research about the effects of interventions used in health and social care. It helps to promote the use of research-based knowledge, offering three databases: DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects), NHS EED (NHS Economic Evaluation Database) and the HTA (Health Technology Assessment) database.
Abstracts of systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials relevant to occupational therapy. Trials have been critically appraised and rated to assist in evaluation.
EBM Reviews
(more info)
Publication coverage: 1991-
A group of databases which provide clinicians with systematic reviews of topics; article reviews; and access to definitive controlled trials. The content, which is produced by the Cochrane Collaboration, the American College of Physicians, and the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, can be searched as separate databases or as one, combined file.
PEDro is the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. It gives access to bibliographic details and abstracts of randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in physiotherapy. Most trials on the database have been rated for quality to help discriminate between trials which are likely to be valid and interpretable and those which are not.
PIER - The Physicians' Information and Education Resource
(more info)
Publication coverage: Updated monthly.
Decision-support tool designed for rapid point-of-care delivery of evidence-based guidance for physicians. Modules focus on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Published by the American College of Physicians.
SUM Search
SUMSearch searches the best Internet sites for a particular query. A single document is returned that organizes the list of links by breadth of discussion. SUMSearch only queries Internet sites that contain evidence written by qualified professionals. The majority of the links provided by SUMSearch come from three internet sites - The National Library of Medicine, DARE and the National Guideline Clearinghouse.
Resources for evidence-based medicine.

Databases for Identifying Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials Databases

Includes databases that are useful for identifying clinical trials.

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Clinical Trials Database
From the US National Institutes of Health, provides regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical research in human volunteers.
EBM Reviews
(more info)
Publication coverage: 1991-
Select Cochrane Registry of Clinical Trials. A bibliography of controlled trials identified by contributors to the Cochrane Collaboration and others. CCTR includes reports published in conference proceedings and in many other sources not currently listed in MEDLINE or other bibliographic databases.
Current Controlled Trials
A database of ongoing controlled trials which has been developed by Current Controlled Trials, Ltd., part of the Current Science Group of companies. It contains a meta Register of Controlled Trials (mRCT), which aims to provide online access to as comprehensive a listing as possible of ongoing and completed controlled trials in all areas of healthcare.

Evidence Based Clinical Guidelines Databases

Clinical Guidelines Databases

Clinical practice guidelines gather, appraise and combine evidence. They attempt to address all the issues relevant to a clinical decision.

CMA Infobase: clinical practice guidelines

Guidelines are produced or endorsed in Canada by a national, provincial/territorial or regional medical or health organization, professional society, government agency or expert panel.

Guideline Advisory Committee (GAC)

The Guideline Advisory Committee (GAC) is a joint body of the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care with additional ex-officio representation from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario.The GAC assesses the rigor of the development process, and clinical relevance of, existing clinical practice guidelines in order to make them more accessible to practicing physicians. The GAC also develops and recommends appropriate strategies for guideline implementation and evaluation.

National Guideline Clearinghouse

A public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. NGC is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the American Medical Association and the American Association of Health Plans.

RNAO Best Practice Guidelines

The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) launched the Nursing Best Practice Guidelines (NBPG) Project in November 1999 with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The purpose of this multi-year project is to support Ontario Nurses by providing them with Best Practice Guidelines for client care.

Toward Optimized Practice (TOP)

Toward Optimized Practice (TOP) helps Alberta Physicians implement clinical practice improvements into their clinics using measurement and evidence with the goal of improving both patient care and clinical management.

Evidence Based Medicine Articles From a Series

Evidence Based Medicine Articles from a Series

Four journal article series highlighting important concepts in evidence-based medicine are assembled: JAMA Series: "Users' Guide to the Medical Literature", BMJ Series: "How to Read a Paper", CMAJ Series: "Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Tips", and JGIM Series: "Tips for Teachers of Evidence-Based Medicine".

JAMA Series

Access the thirty-two articles published in JAMA from 1993 - 2000 for the "Users' Guide to the Medical Literature" series. For the articles that are freely available on the Internet, a link has been included.

BMJ Series

Access the ten articles published in BMJ in 1997 for the "How To Read A Paper" series. All the articles are freely available on the Internet and a link has been included for your convenience.

CMAJ Series

Access the six articles published in CMAJ from 2004-2005 for the "Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Tips" series. All the articles are freely available on the Internet and a link has been included for your convenience.

JGIM Series

Access the articles in the Journal of General Internal Medicine starting December 2007 for the "Tips for Teachers of Evidence-Based Medicine. Most of the articles are freely available and a link has been included for your convenience.

JAMA Series

JAMA Series

(1) Guyatt GH, Haynes RB, Jaeschke RZ et al. Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: XXV. Evidence-based medicine: principles for applying the Users' Guides to patient care. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.[see comment]. JAMA 284(10):1290-6, 2000 September 13.

(2) Richardson WS, Wilson MC, Williams JW, Jr., Moyer VA, Naylor CD. Users' guides to the medical literature: XXIV. How to use an article on the clinical manifestations of disease. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 284(7):869-75, 2000 August 16.

(3) Giacomini MK, Cook DJ. Users' guides to the medical literature: XXIII. Qualitative research in health care B. What are the results and how do they help me care for my patients? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 284(4):478-82, 2000 July 26.

(4) Giacomini MK, Cook DJ. Users' guides to the medical literature: XXIII. Qualitative research in health care A. Are the results of the study valid? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 284(3):357-62, 2000 July.

(5) McGinn TG, Guyatt GH, Wyer PC, Naylor CD, Stiell IG, Richardson WS. Users' guides to the medical literature: XXII: how to use articles about clinical decision rules. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 284(1):79-84, 2000 July 5.

(6) McAlister FA, Straus SE, Guyatt GH, Haynes RB. Users' guides to the medical literature: XX. Integrating research evidence with the care of the individual patient. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.[see comment]. JAMA 283(21):2829-36, 2000 June 7.

(7) Hunt DL, Jaeschke R, McKibbon KA. Users' guides to the medical literature: XXI. Using electronic health information resources in evidence-based practice. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 283(14):1875-9, 2000 April 12.

(8) McAlister FA, Laupacis A, Wells GA, Sackett DL. Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: XIX. Applying clinical trial results B. Guidelines for determining whether a drug is exerting (more than) a class effect.[see comment]. JAMA 282(14):1371-7, 1999 October 13.

(9) Bucher HC, Guyatt GH, Cook DJ, Holbrook A, McAlister FA. Users' guides to the medical literature: XIX. Applying clinical trial results. A. How to use an article measuring the effect of an intervention on surrogate end points. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 282(8):771-8, 1999 August 25.

(10) Randolph AG, Haynes RB, Wyatt JC, Cook DJ, Guyatt GH. Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: XVIII. How to use an article evaluating the clinical impact of a computer-based clinical decision support system. JAMA 282(1):67-74, 1999 July 7.

(11) Barratt A, Irwig L, Glasziou P et al. Users' guides to the medical literature: XVII. How to use guidelines and recommendations about screening. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 281(21):2029-34, 1999 June 2.

(12) Guyatt GH, Sinclair J, Cook DJ, Glasziou P. Users' guides to the medical literature: XVI. How to use a treatment recommendation. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group and the Cochrane Applicability Methods Working Group. JAMA 281(19):1836-43, 1999 May.

(13) Richardson WS, Wilson MC, Guyatt GH, Cook DJ, Nishikawa J. Users' guides to the medical literature: XV. How to use an article about disease probability for differential diagnosis. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 281(13):1214-9, 1999 April 7.

(14) Dans AL, Dans LF, Guyatt GH, Richardson S. Users' guides to the medical literature: XIV. How to decide on the applicability of clinical trial results to your patient. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.[see comment]. JAMA 279(7):545-9, 1998 February 18.

(15) O'Brien BJ, Heyland D, Richardson WS, Levine M, Drummond MF. Users' guides to the medical literature. XIII. How to use an article on economic analysis of clinical practice. B. What are the results and will they help me in caring for my patients? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.[erratum appears in JAMA 1997 Oct 1;278(13):1064]. JAMA 277(22):1802-6, 1997 June 11.

(16) Drummond MF, Richardson WS, O'Brien BJ, Levine M, Heyland D. Users' guides to the medical literature. XIII. How to use an article on economic analysis of clinical practice. A. Are the results of the study valid? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 277(19):1552-7, 1997 May 21.

(17) Guyatt GH, Naylor CD, Juniper E, Heyland DK, Jaeschke R, Cook DJ. Users' guides to the medical literature. XII. How to use articles about health-related quality of life. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 277(15):1232-7, 1997 April 16.

(18) Naylor CD, Guyatt GH. Users' guides to the medical literature. XI. How to use an article about a clinical utilization review. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 275(18):1435-9, 1996 May 8.

(19) Naylor CD, Guyatt GH. Users' guides to the medical literature. X. How to use an article reporting variations in the outcomes of health services. The Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 275(7):554-8, 1996 February 21.

(20) Guyatt GH, Sackett DL, Sinclair JC, Hayward R, Cook DJ, Cook RJ. Users' guides to the medical literature. IX. A method for grading health care recommendations. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.[erratum appears in JAMA 1996 Apr 24;275(16):1232]. JAMA 274(22):1800-4, 1995 December 13.

(21) Wilson MC, Hayward RS, Tunis SR, Bass EB, Guyatt G. Users' guides to the Medical Literature. VIII. How to use clinical practice guidelines. B. what are the recommendations and will they help you in caring for your patients? The Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 274(20):1630-2, 1995 November 22;-29.

(22) Hayward RS, Wilson MC, Tunis SR, Bass EB, Guyatt G. Users' guides to the medical literature. VIII. How to use clinical practice guidelines. A. Are the recommendations valid? The Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 274(7):570-4, 1995 August 16.

(23) Richardson WS, Detsky AS. Users' guides to the medical literature. VII. How to use a clinical decision analysis. B. What are the results and will they help me in caring for my patients? Evidence Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 273(20):1610-3 1995 May 24;-31.

(24) Richardson WS, Detsky AS. Users' guides to the medical literature. VII. How to use a clinical decision analysis. A. Are the results of the study valid? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 273(16):1292-5 1995 April 26.

(25) Oxman AD, Cook DJ, Guyatt GH. Users' guides to the medical literature. VI. How to use an overview. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.[see comment]. JAMA 272(17):1367-71, 1994 November 2.

(26) Laupacis A, Wells G, Richardson WS, Tugwell P. Users' guides to the medical literature. V. How to use an article about prognosis. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 272(3):234-7, 1994 July.

(27) Levine M, Walter S, Lee H, Haines T, Holbrook A, Moyer V. Users' guides to the medical literature. IV. How to use an article about harm. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. AMA 271(20):1615-9, 1994 May 25.

(28) Jaeschke R, Guyatt GH, Sackett DL. Users' guides to the medical literature. III. How to use an article about a diagnostic test. B. What are the results and will they help me in caring for my patients? The Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 271(9):703-7, 1994 March 2.

(29) Jaeschke R, Guyatt G, Sackett DL. Users' guides to the medical literature. III. How to use an article about a diagnostic test. A. Are the results of the study valid? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 271(5):389-91, 1994 February 2.

(30) Guyatt GH, Sackett DL, Cook DJ. Users' guides to the medical literature. II. How to use an article about therapy or prevention. B. What were the results and will they help me in caring for my patients? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 271(1):59-63, 1994 January 5.

(31) Guyatt GH, Sackett DL, Cook DJ. Users' guides to the medical literature. II. How to use an article about therapy or prevention. A. Are the results of the study valid? Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 270(21):2598-601, 1993 December 1.

(32) Oxman AD, Sackett DL, Guyatt GH. Users' guides to the medical literature. I. How to get started. The Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 270(17):2093-5, 1993 November 3.

BMJ Series

BMJ Series

(1) Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Papers that report diagnostic or screening tests.[see comment][erratum appears in BMJ 1997 Oct 11;315(7113):942]. BMJ 315(7107):540-3, 1997 August 30.

(2) Greenhalgh T, Taylor R. Papers that go beyond numbers (qualitative research)[see comment]. BMJ 315(7110):740-3, 1997 September.

(3) Greenhalgh T. Papers that summarise other papers (systematic reviews and meta-analyses). BMJ 315(7109):672-5, 1997 September 13.

(4) Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Papers that tell you what things cost (economic analyses). BMJ 315(7108):596-9, 1997 September 6.

(5) Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Papers that report drug trials. BMJ 315(7106):480-3, 1997 August 23.

(6) Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Statistics for the non-statistician. II: "Significant" relations and their pitfalls. BMJ 315(7105):422-5, 1997 August 16.

(7) Greenhalgh T. Assessing the methodological quality of published papers.[see comment]. BMJ 315(7103):305-8, 1997 August 2.

(8) Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Statistics for the non-statistician. I: Different types of data need different statistical tests.[erratum appears in BMJ 1997 Sep 13;315(7109):675]. BMJ 315(7104):364-6, 1997 August 9.

(9) Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Getting your bearings (deciding what the paper is about).[see comment]. BMJ 315(7102):243-6, 1997 July 26.

(10) Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. The Medline database.[see comment]. BMJ 315(7101):180-3, 1997 July.

CMAJ Series

CMAJ Series

(1) Montori VM, Wyer P, Newman TB, Keitz S, Guyatt G, Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Tips Working Group. Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine: 5. The effect of spectrum of disease on the performance of diagnostic tests. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 173(4):385-90, 2005 August 16.

(2) Hatala R, Keitz S, Wyer P, Guyatt G, Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Tips Working Group. Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine: 4. Assessing heterogeneity of primary studies in systematic reviews and whether to combine their results. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 172(5):661-5, 2005 March 1.

(3) McGinn T, Wyer PC, Newman TB et al. Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine: 3. Measures of observer variability (kappa statistic).[see comment][erratum appears in CMAJ. 2005 Jul 5;173(1):18]. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 171(11):1369-73, 2004 November 23.

(4) Montori VM, Kleinbart J, Newman TB et al. Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine: 2. Measures of precision (confidence intervals).[erratum appears in CMAJ. 2005 Jan 18;172(2):162]. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 171(6):611-5, 2004 September 14.

(5) Barratt A, Wyer PC, Hatala R et al. Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine: 1. Relative risk reduction, absolute risk reduction and number needed to treat.[see comment]. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 171(4):353-8, 2004 August 17.

(6) Wyer PC, Keitz S, Hatala R et al. Tips for learning and teaching evidence-based medicine: introduction to the series.[see comment]. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 171(4):347-8, 2004 August 17.

JGIM Series

JGIM Series

(1) Williams, BC, Hoffman RM. Teaching Tips – A new series in JGIM. Journal of General Internal Medicine 23(1):112-113, 2008 January.

(2) Richardson WS, Wilson MC, Keitz SA, Wyer PC, for the Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Scripts Working Group. Tips for teachers of evidence-based medicine: making sense of diagnostic test results using likelihood ratios. Journal of General Internal Medicine 23(1):87-92, 2008 January.

(3) Kennedy CC, Jaeschke R, Keitz S, Newman T, Montori V, Wyer PC, Guyatt G, for the Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Tips Working Group. Tips for teachers of evidence-based medicine: adjusting for prognostic imbalances (confounding variables) in studies on therapy or harm. Journal of General Internal Medicine 23(3):337-43, 2008 March.

(4) Prasad K, Jaeschke R, Wyer P, Keitz S, Guyatt G, for the Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Tips Working Group. Tips for teachers of evidence-based medicine: understanding odds ratios and their relationship to risk ratios. Journal of General Internal Medicine 23(5):635-40, 2008 May.

(5) McGinn T, Jervis R, Wisnivesky J, Keitz S, Wyer PC, for the Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Tips Working Group. Tips for teachers of evidence-based medicine: clinical prediction rules (CPRs) and estimating pretest probability. Journal of General Internal Medicine 23(8):1261-8, 2008 August.

Evidence Based Tools and Calculators

Evidence Based Tools & Calculators

MedCalc3000

is available via Stat!Ref (see the top bar in red), it provides a Unit & Dose Converter, a Math Calculator, Medical Equations, and more.

Evidence Based Practice Sites

EBP Websites

This page contains a variety of excellent EBM tutorials and links to additional sites of interest.

Evidence Based Medicine Tool Kit

"This is a collection of tools for identifying, assessing and applying relevant evidence for better health care decision-making. The appraisal tools are adapted from the Users' Guides series prepared by the Evidence Based Medicine Working Group and originally published in JAMA".

Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto

"The goal of this website is to help develop, disseminate, and evaluate resources that can be used to practise and teach EBM for undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education for health care professionals from a variety of clinical disciplines.This site also serves as a support for the book entitled, Evidence-based Medicine: How to practice and teach EBM".

Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine

This sites includes individual modules that deal with learning EBM, doing EBM, teaching EBM, EBM toolbox, CATs, levels of evidence, glossary etc.

Introduction to Evidence Based Medicine

"This tutorial is intended for any health care practitioner or student who needs a basic introduction to the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine." The tutorial was developed by staff at Duke University Medical Center Library and Health Sciences Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Navigating the Maze: Obtaining Evidence-Based Medical Information

Health Links, Evidence-Based Practice, University of Washington

This comprehensive site includes links to Find the Evidence, Evidence Calculators, EBP Statistics, EBP Research Centers, Learn About EBP and EBP Literature.

The Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre

"The core function of a Cochrane Centre is to support active members of the Collaboration, whether as reviewers, editors, review group co-ordinators, trials search co-ordinators, handsearchers, referees, consumers or members of Fields and Methods Groups. The Canadian Cochrane Centre is located at the University of Ottawa."

Bandolier

"The first issue of Bandolier, an independent journal about evidence-based healthcare, written by Oxford scientists, (RAM AND HJM) was printed in February 1994. It has appeared monthly ever since and has become the premier source of evidence based healthcare information in the UK and worldwide for both healthcare professionals and consumers."