No.7: Finding evidence-based clinical information
Find links to these resources at the library’s list of databases. Off-site access varies for each resource; you may need your library card barcode, or you may need to create an account while on-site before off-site access is available. See the notes accompanying each resource's link, and Fact Sheet 13: Remote Access for more detail.
Drug-related queries
- Micromedex
- MIMS)
- Australian Medicines Handbook
- Therapeutic guidelines
- RCH Paediatric Pharmacopoeia
- Toxnet
Other clinical queries
Using the following clinical question as an example, search for evidence-based care related literature in a variety of databases. We recommend you search the databases in the order listed below.
Sample question: In children with conjunctivitis, does antibiotic treatment compared with no treatment, reduce the severity and duration of conjunctivitis?
MD Consult
- Search for books, journals, the Clinics of North America, patient education, drugs, news, images and guidelines.
- Use truncation: asterisk (*) represents zero or more additional characters; question mark (?) represents zero or one additional character.
UpToDate
UpToDate is a comprehensive evidence-based clinical information resource designed to give clinicians concise, practical answers at point-of-care. Topics are written by clinicians, and are peer-reviewed to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and reliable.
- On-site access only; no remote access.
- Enter a search phrase in the New Search field, then view results.
- Go to Help/User Manual/Searching in UpToDate for search tips.
BMJ Best Practice
- Use Browse conditions or the Search field.
- Each topic is divided into: Highlights, Basics, Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, Follow up, and Resources.
- Select Evidence from the Treatment section (if available).
DynaMed
DynaMed is a point-of-care tool that is updated daily and monitors the content of over 500 medical journals and systematic evidence review databases directly and indirectly by using many journal review services.
- Search by using the Find field, browse the A-Z, or Browse by Category.
- DynaMed is available on PDA for Palm OS and Microsoft Mobile devices. Find out more.
The Cochrane Library
- Must search both keywords and thesaurus (MeSH).
- Use asterisk (*) for truncation.
- Use Advanced Search for keyword searching, and MeSH Search for thesaurus searching.
- See Fact Sheet no.5: The Cochrane Library for search tips.
SUMSearch
Searches the National Guideline Clearinghouse (USA), DARE (Other Reviews in The Cochrane Library) and PubMed.
- Do NOT use phrase searching (" ").
- Do NOT use parentheses. If you enter three or more terms, parentheses are automatically placed starting with the first two terms and continuing to the last term. For example, antibiotic* or anti bacterial agent* or antibacterial agent* and conjunctivitis will automatically become (antibiotic* or anti bacterial agent* or antibacterial agent*) and conjunctivitis.
- Use asterisk (*) for truncation.
- Results are listed in categories.
Ovid Medline; EbscoHost Medline; EbscoHost CINAHL: limit to Clinical Queries
Medline is available through two interfaces: Ovid and Ebsco. CINAHL is only available through the Ebsco interface. Applying the appropriate clinical queries in Ovid and EbscoHost is an effective way to limit search results.
Limit to Clinical Queries in Ovid
- Perform a search.
- Select Limits.
- Select Additional Limits.
- Select the appropriate clinical query from the Clinical Queries list.
Limit to Clinical Queries in EbscoHost
- Perform a search.
- Select Revise Search.
- Select the appropriate clinical query from the Clinical Queries list.
