Clinical Evidence: Navigating the Maze

What is Clinical Evidence?

Clinical Evidence is a continuously updated (a new version of the entire database comes out every 6 months) compendium of evidence on the effects of common clinical interventions, published by the BMJ Publishing Group. It is a unique product that is driven by questions rather than available evidence, and it provides a concise account of the current state of knowledge, ignorance, and uncertainty about the prevention and treatment of a wide range of clinical conditions. based on thorough searches of the literature.

Clinical Evidence records are based on thorough searches of the MEDLINE and Embase databases, as well as reviews of other sources, such as the Cochrane Library, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), TRIP Database, and Bandolier.

How is Clinical Evidence Arranged?

The Clinical Evidence database is arranged into specialty areas, then topics. Examples:

• Child Health
  • Acute Otitis Media
  • Asthma in Children
• Eye Disorders
  • Acute Anterior Uveitis
  • Age Related Macular Degeneration

What is the Format of a Clinical Evidence Record?

Records provide a brief summary on the state of evidence in each topic. Information is provided in Questions, Interventions and Key Messages sections. Interventions are divided into categories:

Beneficial: Interventions whose effectiveness has been demonstrated by clear
evidence from controlled trials.

Likely to be beneficial: Interventions whose effectiveness is less well
established than for those listed under "beneficial".

Trade off between benefits and harms: Interventions for which clinicians and patients should weigh up the beneficial and harmful effects according to individual circumstances and priorities.

Unknown effectiveness: Interventions for which there is currently insufficient data or data of inadequate quality.

Unlikely to be beneficial: Interventions for which lack of effectiveness is less well
established than for those listed under "likely to be ineffective or harmful".

Likely to be ineffective or harmful: Interventions whose ineffectiveness or harm has been demonstrated by clear evidence.

Records also sometimes provide a reference section for the topic, describing definition, incidence/prevalence, aetiology/risk factors, prognosis, etc.

How Can I Learn More about Clinical Evidence?

For more information about the print or online versions of Clinical Evidence, visit the product's home page at the BMJ Web site. You may register for a free trial of the product.

Clinical Evidence is also available by subscription from Ovid Technologies.

To try the Clinical Evidence database, go to http://gateway.ovid.com and enter:

ID = uvademo
PASSWORD = knowhow

This Free code is courtesy of Ovid Technologies, and will be active through April 24th, 2003.