Evidence Based Medicine

This guide is designed to assist health care professionals and students become effective and efficient users of the medical literature.

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Pre-Appraised or Summarized Evidence

The process of searching, synthesizing, and evaluating the reports of original research can be daunting and time intensive. There are several databases that offer synthesized and evaluated evidence in the form of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, guidelines, and critically appraised topics. This literature is referred to as the secondary literature.

Through pre-appraised summaries, experts provide a critical review of an original research article or a group of research articles on the same topic for the purpose of producing a synopsis of the evidence.

There are other resources meant specifically to assist the clinician and the student in making decisions at the point-of-care. Often these resources are in the form of handbooks or guides and are sometimes referred to as tertiary literature. Many of these point-of-care tools are now available in mobile-friendly formats.

Finding Pre-Appraised Literature & Summaries

When searching for pre-appraised literature and summaries, you can either go directly to a specific source or you can use a search engine designed to find this type of information.

Trip Free
The Trip Free database is a clinical search engine that combines the results from evidence-based sources of systematic reviews, practice guidelines, MEDLINE's Clinical Queries, medical image databases, e-textbooks, and patient information.. The acronym Trip stands for Turning Research into Practice. There is an option to sign up and log in, but this is not required.

Trip Pro
Trip is a clinical search engine designed to find high quality research evidence to support clinical practice and care. It simultaneously searches evidence-based sources of systematic reviews, practice guidelines, MEDLINE's Clinical Queries, medical image databases, e-textbooks, and patient information.

Note: You must download the Cisco Anyconnect VPN to access Trip Pro Database from off campus. Here are instructions for Windows, MAC, Linux, Android, and IOS users:

Windows
MacOS
Linux
Android
iOS

Evidence Based Practice Databases - Freely Available

ACCESSSS
Created by McMasters PLUS, ACCESSSS is designed to find the best evidence-based answer to your clinical questions by simultaneously searching the leading evidence-driven medical publications and high quality clinical literature.

*A free account is required to access content and search appraised materials
BestBETs
BETs are designed specifically for Emergency Medicine.
Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
Develops clinical practice guidelines, based on systematic analysis of scientific evidence, supporting primary care providers in delivering preventive health care.
Electronic Preventive Services Selector (ePSS)
ePSS is an application designed to provide primary care clinicians and health care teams timely decision support regarding appropriate screening, counseling, and preventive services for their patients.
Guide to Community Preventive Services
Systematic reviews of interventions in many topic areas to learn what works to promote public health.
Health Services/Technology Assessment Texts (HSTAT)
Health Services Technology Assessment Texts (HSTAT) is a free, electronic resource that provides access to the full-text of documents useful in health care decision making.

HSTAT includes: clinical practice guidelines, quick-reference guides for clinicians, consumer brochures, and evidence reports sponsored by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ), formerly AHCRP; AHRQ technology assessment reports; National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus development conference and research protocols; the Preventive Services Task Force Guide to Clinical Preventive Services; and other guidelines.

Evidence Based Practice Databases - For UIC Affiliates Only

Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases that contain independent evidence on which to base clinical treatment decisions.
* Cochrane Reviews, aka Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR)
* Other Reviews, aka Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)
* Clinical Trials; aka Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)
* Methods Studies, aka Cochrane Methodology Register (CMR)
* Technology Assessments, aka Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA)
* Economic Evaluations, aka National Health Service (NHS) Economic Evaluation Database (NHSEED)
* Cochrane Groups, aka About the Cochrane Collaboration
DynaMed
DynaMed is an evidence-based information resource used by physicians around the world to answer clinical questions quickly and easily. DynaMed includes thousands of topics covering emergency medicine, cardiology, oncology, infectious diseases, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and much more.

Note: if you get an error message, close the browser and try accessing the site again.

As of June 30, 2024, UIC will no longer have an institutional subscription to DynaMed. More info.
Essential Evidence Plus
Current answers to clinical medicine questions at the point of care. You must register for an account using your uic.edu email in order to access Essential Evidence Plus.
Essential Evidence Plus allows physicians to help keep current and answer clinical medicine questions at the point of care with the right information. Podcasts of weekly InfoPOEMs are also available.
UpToDate
UpToDate is an online, peer-reviewed clinical decision support tool with topic reviews covering symptoms, tests and diagnosis, and treatment options for over 8,500 conditions.

Note: In order to maintain uninterrupted access to the UpToDate mobile app, you must verify your continued affiliation with UIC. You can do so by logging in to UpToDate with your UIC NetID and Password via the proxy link above or via remote VPN and then signing in with your Personal UpToDate account once every 90 days. For more guidance, visit the UIC Library Mobile Medicine Guide on the UpToDate Mobile App.