Evidence Based Medicine

Consumer guide to understanding and applying the concept.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States presents summaries and assessments for healthcare providers and clinicians. Documents may be viewed or downloaded at no cost.

A searchable database of evidence-based answers to real-life clinical questions, with details of courses and teaching material. Developed in the Emergency Department of Manchester Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom.

A California public service forum conducting evidence-based reviews of new and emerging medical technologies; CTAF reviews across a broad spectrum of medical topics are available as downloadable PDFs.

Summarises current knowledge about the prevention and treatment of disease, based on appraisal of systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials. Free on-line access for physicians in the United Kingdom or in developing countries.

International not-for-profit organisation preparing, maintaining and promoting the accessibility of systematic reviews of the effects of health care. General information, access to the Cochrane Library, guidelines, manuals and software.

Medical information database of clinical topic summaries, including a grading the quality of evidence cited, designed primarily for point-of-care use; updated daily.

Commercial evidence-based guidelines service that provides primary care practice guidelines developed by general practitioners, along with supporting evidence-based summaries.

Collection of summaries and critical appraisals regarding common on-call medical conditions, with definitions and a list of the specialties covered.

Free downloadable calculator computing sensitivity and selectivity, control event rates, numbers-needed-to-treat, and other evidence-based factors.

A defense of evidence-based medicine from the perspective of women's health concerns.

Discussion of the applicability of evidence-based medicine in Latin American countries.

An anesthesiologist's examination of some strengths and weaknesses of evidence-based medicine.

An article from the Medical Journal of Australia explains the basic processes and concepts, with descriptions of common computer-assisted research tools.

Searchable best evidence database, plus tailored email alert service, from the British Medical Journal and McMaster University. Free subscription required.

FirstCONSULT is a commercial evidence-based clinical decision support system designed for physicians at the point of care. Contains a differential diagnosis tool, evidence-based medical topics knowledgebase, and patient information and procedure.

The principles and applications are explained, with examples provided for different specialties.

Commercial services providing evidence-based health technology assessment reports of new, emerging, and controversial health technologies.

Delivers daily Patient-Oriented Evidence that Matters (DailyPOEMs) by email and produces the InfoRetriever database system of evidence-based information next to a print newsletter "Evidence-Based Practice".

A non-profit initiative seeking to identify the most important gaps in the evidence for treatment efficacy, and to forge patient-clinician working partnerships to identify and prioritize unanswered questions, working closely with evidence-based affiliates. Also publishes a glossary of common evidence-based terms.

Commercial service providing preparation of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, rapid reviews, and health technology assessments.

Search engine from NHS Evidence for health and social care professionals, providing access to evidence-based health information to assist in delivering quality patient care. Includes a Specialist Collections, along with periodic Annual Evidence Updates issued by topic area.

The American Academy of Family Physicians presents a summary and assessment of five web-based research tools. Available as PDF download.

Assessment of where we stand in evidence-based medicine as of 2008.

Medical search engine returning evidence-based research in categories for practice guidelines, and for systematic reviews, both from PUBMED and from DARE, including Cochrane abstracts.

Medical search engine with emphasis on evidence based medicine (EBM) and clinical guidelines and queries, including content from Cochrane and Bandolier.

The University of North Carolina presents an alphabetical list of clinical research topics, each with a review of strengths and weaknesses.