Find evidence
Evidence-based practice
An evidence-based approach to clinical care requires the health professional to use the ". . . best research evidence, along with clinical expertise, available resources, and the patient's preferences to determine the optimal management options in a specific situation" (Liamputtong, 2013, p. 453).
To search for evidence-base information, you first need to develop a well-formed question. Concept maps such as PICO may help. Our following guide will help:
How to find the evidence
- Finding evidence involves searching health databases. These contain journal articles that often provide the most current and authortative research on a topic.
- Important to search across a range of databases, as no one database covers all the health literature.
Listed below are some key databases for allied health as well as discipline-specific databases.
Selected databases
- MEDLINE (Ovid) 1946 - This link opens in a new windowCitations and abstracts from biomedicine also covers much of the literature in biology and biochemistry, as well as fields such as molecular evolution.
- Embase (Ovid)Biomedical and pharmacological database.
- Cochrane LibraryPre-appraised database including systematic reviews of the effects of health care treatments or interventions.
- PEN: Practice-based evidence in nutritionProvides timely, current and authoritative guidance on food and nutrition. It offers evidence-based answers to the questions encountered in every day practice
- SPORTDiscus This link opens in a new windowComprehensive coverage of sport, exercise physiology, physical fitness and related disciplines.
- AUSPORT This link opens in a new windowAustralian Sport Database includes material on sport administration, children, coaching, economics, medicine, psychology and Olympic games
- AusDIComprehensive, authoritative, unbiased source of drug and therapeutic information developed for Australian pharmacists, medical practitioners, nurses and other health care professionals
- MIMS Online This link opens in a new windowAustralia’s most comprehensive and authoritative pharmaceutical database. Provides access to essential information on over 2,300 prescription and non-prescription drugs.
Clinical Guidelines (also known as Clinical Practice Guidelines) are recommendations intended to optimize patient care. They should be informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and harms of alternative care options (National Academies of Science).
- AGREE IIInternational tool to assess the quality and reporting of practice guidelines.
- Australian Clinical Practice GuidelinesSingle access point for Australian clinical practice guidelines
Access evidence-based information that has already been evaluated and synthesized through these resources.
- BMJ Best Practice This link opens in a new windowPoint of care tool that provides latest research evidence, guidelines and expert opinion covering prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
- Up To DateAn evidence-based, physician-authored clinical decision support resource which assists clinicians to make point-of-care decisions.
Google Scholar
What is Google Scholar?
Can be a good place to start your research but Library databases provide a more efficient and effective means to access information.
Learn how to set up Google Scholar preferences to find items held by La Trobe University Library when you are searching off campus.
Disadvantages
- Does not provide comprehensive coverage
- Results vary is quality
- Cannot search/sort by discipline
- Few options to limit or narrow search results
- Searching is imprecise when compared with discipline-specific databases.