Evidence-based medicine databases: An overview

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) helps to bridge the gap between current healthcare practice and recent research findings in health care. It integrates recent research findings with the expertise of practitioners along with considering patient preferences and values. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has originated as a paradigm shift in clinical practice to reduce the gap between current practice and recent research findings in a particular area among healthcare professionals to enhance the quality of patient care. EBM search strengths and weaknesses behind individual research findings, medical interventions, and clinical trials in terms of risks and benefits and act as a significant tool in clinical decision-making.

The Challenge of Information Overload

Today’s era of scientific information explosion makes hard for healthcare providers to remain up to date on the best clinical practices. We are living in an era where everyday 2.5 quintillion bytes of new information are being produced. In reality, a physician has to read 17 scientific literature works per day to remain up to date. Overload of healthcare information presents a challenging task among healthcare professionals to recognize information from valid resources/studies and translate those information at the point of patient care.

The Role of EBM Databases

This is a difficult challenge, but EBM databases provide quick access to research findings. EBM databases are evidence resources, which provide various research evidence in the accessible form which will help healthcare professionals to integrate these findings in their daily clinical practice. Technology has advanced in such a way that accesses to a huge volume of data from multiple resources worldwide. EBM databases enhanced the effective incorporation of evidence, expert knowledge, and patients’ preferences in the patient care.

Available Resources and Data Types

These databases provide information about guidelines, disease, treatment, diagnosis, clinical relevance, systematic reviews, clinical trials, observational studies, preappraised information, summary, abstract, full text, similar studies, short reports, clinical queries, images, e-textbooks, patient counseling information, and continuous medical education in a minimum period of time. The following table categorizes the core information provided by these platforms:

Practical Application of Evidence

A practice of EBM among patients involves formulating clinical problem or query into an answerable research question, searching for the best evidence from the evidence resources, critical appraisal of research evidence, and application and evaluation of the suitable best evidence to a patient. The identification and utilization of recent research findings is a critical step to enhance patient care and clinical practice. Establishing educational requirements and awareness in the practice of EBM among healthcare professionals is a great step for promoting the practice of EBM.