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Table 1 EBM Resources accessible through MacPLUS Federated Search (MacPLUS FS)

From: Increasing the quantity and quality of searching for current best evidence to answer clinical questions: protocol and intervention design of the MacPLUS FS Factorial Randomized Controlled Trials

 

Description

Specific resources available**

Summaries*

Summary of the body of evidence at a topic-level (not just a research question). Regularly updated (variable frequency).

DynaMed

UpToDate

Best Practice

May provide actionable recommendations.

ACP PIER

Pre-appraised research*

Continuously updated and appraised.

 

Synopses of systematic

One-page description of selected reviews with commentaries from experts.

ACP Journal Club (selected via PLUS), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)

reviews

Systematic reviews

Selected reviews rated by clinicians

McMaster PLUS (including Cochrane)

for relevance & novelty.

Synopses of studies

One-page description of selected

ACP Journal Club (selected via PLUS)

studies with commentaries from experts.

Studies

Selected studies rated by clinicians

McMaster PLUS

for relevance & novelty.

Non-pre-appraised research*

Always requires independent own appraisal.

 

Filtered studies

Selection of studies using empirically

Clinical Queries in PubMed

derived methodological filters.

Unfiltered studies

Unselected studies from large databases.

PubMed (MEDLINE)

Alerts to new evidence updates

Email alerts to new evidence.

McMaster PLUS

Customized to areas of interest.

(same as BMJ EvidenceUpdates)

Additional resources

Available alongside the search functions.

 

Single citation matcher

Helps finding specific citations.

PubMed matcher and McMasterPLUS

Clinical vital links

Prescribing information.

Compendium of Pharmaceuticals

Patient information.

MedlinePlus

Medical calculators and tool sets.

MedCalc3000

Other EBM links

 

EBM Toolbox (Oxford Centre for EBM)

 

Guidance for EBM practice.

JAMAevidence (McGraw-Hill)

 

Toolboxes & appraisal spreadsheets.

Centre for EBM (Univ. Health Network) Bandolier

  1. *These layers, adapted from the 6-S pyramid of EBM resources [20],[49], are searched simultaneously in MacPLUS FS. Results are displayed on one page output in that order, i.e., with the most clinically useful hits at the top (see Figure 1).
  2. **Broad full-text access at all McMaster affiliated clinical institutions participating in the trials is provided on-site through McMaster University or Hamilton Health Sciences institutional licenses. Remote access is allowed through VPN (except for UpToDate), or depends on each user’s individual subscriptions. Searching features remain always free, as well as access to all McMaster PLUS and to any open-access content.
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Implementation Science

ISSN: 1748-5908