Systematic Reviews of the Literature
Cochrane Library
Includes Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, The Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Health Technology Assessment Database, NHS Economic Evaluation Database.
Clinical Practice Guidelines
National Guideline Clearinghouse
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Joanna Briggs Institute-Best Practice
From the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia. Many are free, but some files are available only to members.
Access Medicine
Practice guidelines, images, multimedia, and more.
Distilled Information Sources
Evidence Based Nursing
A journal, but the studies and reviews are summarized in "value-added" abstracts. See the journal's Purpose and Procedure document for more information.
Clinical Evidence
International source of the best available evidence for effective health care. Goal is to promote informed decision making by summarizing what's known -- and not known -- about more than 200 medical conditions and over 2000 treatments. More details...
Also includes resources links to help with drug names, understanding statistics, etc.
Clinical Pharmacology
Clinically relevant information for all U.S. prescription drugs, herbal and nutritional supplements, over-the-counter products, and new and investigational drugs.
ACP Journal Club
From the American College of Physicians. Studies and reviews are summarized in value-added abstracts. See Purpose and Procedure for more information.
PIER-Physicians’ Information and Education Resource
From the American College of Physicians. Provides evidence-based guidelines to improve the quality of patient care.
Articles
CINAHL
Nursing emphasis. Covers 1982-present. Can limit to research articles.
PubMed
Biomedicine. Covers 1950-present. Includes a clinical queries filter for searching therapy, diagnosis, etiology, prognosis, and clinical prediction guides (predictive value of tests). Clinical Queries filter is based on Research Methodology filters developed by Haynes RB et al.
Filters or Hedges for Literature Searches
NLinks (Language in Nursing Knowledge Systems) Research/Database Center
Includes PubMed Filters optimized for nursing: Nursing Diagnosis Database, Nursing Diagnosis and Primary Database, Nursing Sensitive Patient Outcomes Database, Primary Database, and Nursing Sensitive Patient Outcomes and Primary Database, and other Evidence-Based Nursing Tools.
PubMed Clinical Queries Filter
Biomedicine. Covers 1950-present. Includes a clinical queries filter for searching therapy, diagnosis, etiology, prognosis, and clinical prediction guides (predictive value of tests). Clinical Queries filter is based on Research Methodology filters developed by Haynes RB et al.
Other Tools
SumSearch
Web-based search tool for finding medical and health care evidence. From the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA).
TRIP Database
Search engine that collects results from a number of internet sites (mostly based in UK).
MD Consult
MD Consult features the full-text of 39 medical texts and reference books, 59 medical journals, 31 titles in the Year Book series, clinical practice guidelines, drug information, patient education handouts, and medical news updates.
First Consult
An evidence-based clinical information source for primary health care providers. Includes tools for differential diagnosis, evaluation and management of medical conditions, patient education and procedure skills review. The differential diagnosis and medical condition files can be accessed on handheld devices via PocketConsult, a separate download available within the database.
Other Selected Evidence Based Practice Resources
Help Formulating Clinical Questions and Search Strategies
The tools in this section were compiled or developed by Stephanie Schulte and Pamela Sandstrom, librarians at the Walter E. Helmke Library, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne. Used with Ms. Schulte's permission.
Evidence Based Practice Worksheet
Critical Appraisal Worksheet
Foraging for Information Worksheet
PICO (Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) Flow Chart
References
Levin, R. F., & Feldman, H. R. (2006). Teaching evidence-based practice in nursing : A guide for academic and clinical settings. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
McKibbon, K., & Marks, S. (1998). EBN notebook. searching for the best evidence. part 1: Where to look. Evidence-Based Nursing, 1(3), 68-70.
McKibbon, K., & Marks, S. (1998). Searching for the best evidence. part 2: Searching CINAHL and medline. Evidence-Based Nursing, 1(4), 105-107.
Morris, M., Scott-Findlay, S., & Estabrooks, C. (2001). Evidence-based nursing web sites: Finding the best resources. AACN Clinical Issues: Advanced Practice in Acute & Critical Care, 12(4), 578-587.
Morrisey, L., & DeBourgh, G. (2001). Finding evidence: Refining literature searching skills for the advanced practice nurse. AACN Clinical Issues: Advanced Practice in Acute & Critical Care, 12(4), 560-577.
Pravikoff, D., Tanner, A., & Pierce, S. (2005). Readiness of U.S. nurses for evidence-based practice: Many don't understand or value research and have had little or no training to help them find evidence on which to base their practice. American Journal of Nursing, 105(9), 40-52.
