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The medical literature is immense, but only a small portion of it is immediately useful in answering clinical questions. The literature reports the whole spectrum of the scientific research process -- the long journey from in-vitro studies to double-blind randomized controlled trials. This has been called the "wedge of evidence" or the "pyramid of evidence." (for a visual representation see More Information)
An understanding of how various levels of evidence are reported and how this literature is organized will help the searcher retrieve the highest levels of evidence for a particular clinical question. High levels of evidence may not exist for all clinical questions because of the nature of medical problems and research and ethical limitations.
Adding METHODOLOGY terms and CLINICAL FILTERS to SUBJECT terms will result in the most efficient and optimal retrieval in terms of finding the highest level of evidence in answering clinical questions.
randomized/controlled clinical trials (a clinical trial involving one or more test treatments, at least one control treatment, specified outcome measures for evaluating the studied intervention, and a bias-free method for assigning patients to the test treatment)
Type of Question |
Type of Study Methodology |
MEDLINE Filters |
---|---|---|
Therapy: information needed about |
Double-Blind |
Randomized Controlled Trial [PT] |
Diagnosis: information needed about a |
Controlled Trial |
Sensitivity and Specificity [MH] |
Prognosis: information needed about the |
Cohort Studies |
Cohort Studies [MH] Prognosis [MH] Survival Analysis [MH] |
Etiology/Harm: information needed about |
Cohort Studies |
Cohort Studies [MH] |
Prevention: information needed about the |
Randomized Controlled Trial [PT] Cohort Studies [MH] Prevention and Control [SH] |
|
Quality Improvement: information needed |
Randomized Controlled Trial |
Randomized Controlled Trial [PT] |
(Abbreviations: MH=Medical Subject Heading; PT=Publication Type; SH=Subheading; TW=Text Word)
The practice and teaching of Evidence-Based Medicine has outcome products which help the health care provider and consumer keep up with the medical literature and assess the evidence. This secondary literature synthesizes, filters, and evaluates the primary research literature. Dissemination and incorporation of valid clinical research findings into medical practice is the ultimate goal.
Filtered or Synthesized Information |
Description/Definition |
How to Find This Type of Information |
---|---|---|
Systematic Reviews |
|
Use PubMed/MEDLINE searching
Use PubMed Clinical Queries
|
Meta-Analyses |
|
Use PubMed/MEDLINE searching
|
Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines |
|
Use National Guideline Clearinghouse Use Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Use US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations |
Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) |
|
Use EBM Reviews Use Essential EvidencePLUS (UIC affiliate access)
|
Decision Analyses/Decision Tools |
|
Use PubMed/MEDLINE searching
|
Consensus Development Reports |
|
Use PubMed/MEDLINE searching
|
This guide has been created by the University of Illinois at Chicago's Library of the Health Sciences at Peoria.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions at lib-pref@uic.edu.