The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine strives to apply the highest standards of both rigor and sensitivity to the evaluation of research evidence and its application in clinical practice in rehabilitation. ACRM has established a Clinical Practice Committee (CPC) to advise it on all issues relevant to the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence and the guidelines that may be based upon it. Click here to download a pdf version of the complete submission policies and procedures.
Content Category and Web addresses |
Comments and Recommended Use
|
|
Self-study |
www.hsl.unc.edu/Services/Tutorials/EBM/welcome.htm |
This
tutorial, developed by Duke University Medical Center Library
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Health Science
Library, is a good place to begin EBP self-study. There is a good
overview of EBM but examples emphasize medical issues. |
| Background
and General Evidence-based Practice Information |
|
The
Centre for Evidence Based Medicine Web site at Oxford University
www.cebm.net/
|
The
most comprehensive site for EBM. Includes numerous resources.
Teaching materials in PowerPoint can be downloaded. Review the
available resources and bookmark this site for later use. |
|
www.cebm.utoronto.ca/
|
The
Centre for Evidence Based Medicine Web site at the University
of Toronto offers valuable resources including chapters from Sackett's
EBM book. Patient cases include EBP examples for nursing and therapy. |
|
.netting the evidence.org.uk
www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/ir/netting/
www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/ir/core.html
|
Netting
the Evidence is intended to facilitate evidence-based healthcare
by providing support and access to helpful organizations and useful
learning resources, such as an evidence-based virtual library,
software and journals. |
|
www.cche.net/usersguides/
|
The
site has links to full-text articles published as "Users'
Guides to Evidence-Based Medicine." This series was originally
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). |
|
EBP- Reference Material |
|
Evidence-Based
Medicine Glossary
www.cebm.utoronto.ca/glossary/ |
This
glossary is provides definitions of EBM terms and examples. |
|
Levels
of Evidence and Grades of Recommendations CAT: Critically Appraised
Topic
www.cebm.net/levels_of_evidence.asp |
Summarizes
levels of evidence with specific criteria for evaluating evidence. |
|
Resources Organized by Steps in the EBP Process |
| 1.
Identifying learning issues and formulating a clinical question |
|
www.cebm.utoronto.ca/
|
Word
document that can be used to keep track of learning issues and
develop clinical questions. |
|
Focusing Clinical Questions
www.cebm.net/focus_quest.asp
|
An
example of the PICO format used to develop focused clinical questions. |
| 2a.
Conducting an evidence search-Begin by searching for existing
guidelines |
|
SUMSearch™
sumsearch.uthscsa.edu
|
Meta-search
engine - Searches multiple databases and organizes results search
results into categories: existing guidelines, systematic reviews
and primary literature. |
|
www.guideline.gov
|
AHRQ's
National Guideline Clearinghouse. A definitive source. 182 guidelines
are indexed under rehabilitation, 40 on "brain injury"
(including some that are not really guidelines, such as the NIH
Consensus Conference summary), and 115 on stroke. |
|
|
This
web site contains a database of web-based EBCPGs from recent scientific
publications. This database is a teaching and reference tool that
will allow students and rehabilitation specialists (occupational
therapists, physiotherapists, audiologists, physiatrists, speech
and language pathologists, etc.) alike to make informed decisions
in choosing an effective intervention for their client. |
|
www.aan.com/
|
The
American Academy of Neurology database has clinical practice guidelines
and related tools, including patient and physician summaries of
selected guidelines. Additional tools and new guidelines are added
regularly. |
|
www.ancds.duq.edu/guidelines.html
|
Academy
of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences (ANCDS). Resources
available at this site include specific practice guidelines. |
|
Primary
Care Clinical Practice Guidelines
medicine.ucsf.edu/resources
|
JAMA's
EB guideline material. Information related to primary care and
general medical care. |
| 2b.
Conducting an evidence search- If there are no existing clinical
guidelines, search for meta-analyses, systematic reviews and critically
appraised topics. |
|
The
International Cochrane Collaboration
www.cochrane.us/
www.cochrane.org/
http://www.update-software.com/cochrane/abstract.htm
The
Rehabilitation and Related Fields Site
www.fdg.unimaas.nl/epid/cochrane/field.htm
|
Cochrane
reviews - a landmark international collaborative activity for
systematic evidence reviews. A systematic review handbook and
other materials can be downloaded. You can search a database
of systematic review abstracts for free, but access to the complete
review requires a paid subscription. Reviews are also indexed
in Medline/Pubmed.
|
|
www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/epcix.htm
|
Reports
from evidence-based practice centers are available. Reports and
technology assessments are based on rigorous, comprehensive syntheses
and analyses of the scientific literature on topics relevant to
clinical, social science/behavioral, economic, and other health
care organization and delivery issues. |
|
D.A.R.E.
Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness
nhscrd.york.ac.uk/darehp.htm |
Database
of Abstracts of Rehabilitation Effectiveness includes systematic
reviews related to rehabilitation. Register for regular e-mail
updates |
|
www.pedro.fhs.usyd.edu.au/
|
Physiotherapy
evidence database for rapid access to bibliographic details and
abstracts of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews
in physiotherapy - Most reviews are rated for quality. |
|
www.otseeker.com/
|
OTseeker
is a database that contains abstracts of systematic reviews and
randomised controlled trials relevant to occupational therapy.
Trials have been critically appraised and rated to assist you
to evaluate their validity and interpretability. |
|
www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/
|
The
National Quality Measures Clearninghouse (NQMC), sponsored by
the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
is a public repository for evidence-based quality measures and
measure sets. |
| 2c.
Conducting an evidence search-If 'pre-digested' literature is
not available, conduct a primary literature search. |
|
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed
|
If
'pre-digested' literature is not available, conduct a primary
literature search. The NLM has a free public access search engine.
Use the 'clinical queries' button to organize a search using EBP
filters. |
|
www.psychcrawler.com/
|
PsychCrawler®
is a product of the American Psychological Association created
to provide quick access to quality content in the field of psychology. |
| 3:
Critically appraising evidence |
|
What is a CAT?
About CAT:
Critically Appraised Topic
|
Describes
a process for developing critically appraised topics (CATs) |
|
CAT:
Critically Appraised Topic Worksheets
|
Download
worksheets that you can use to critically appraising evidence
related to diagnosis, prognosis, therapy (intervention), harm,
and systematic reviews. |
|
http://www.cebm.net/catmaker.asp
|
CATmaker
is a software tool which helps you create Critically
Appraised Topics (CATs) for the key articles you encounter
about therapy, diagnosis, prognosis, etiology/harm and systematic
reviews of therapy. |
|
EBP Resources for Specific Professions |
|
www.apta.org/hookedonevidence/
|
American
Physical Therapy Association (APTA) members may use this website
to search a database of article extractions relevant to physical
therapy. As of August 7, 2003, there are 828 extractions included
on this website. |
|
http://www.aota.org/
|
American
Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) members may access resources
related to brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease,
and stroke that were created as part of AOTA's evidence-based
literature review project. |
|
American
Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Practice
Guidelines Resources
www.aapmr.org/hpl/pracguide/resource.htm
Practice
Guidelines and Outcomes
www.aapmr.org/hpl/guideline.htm |
The
American Academy of PM&R list of practice guideline resources;
and timely,
in-depth information about PM&R practice guidelines and
outcomes.
|
|
www.asha.org/
|
A
members-only resource area for guidelines. |
|
|
| This
list of internet and print resources for evidence-based rehabilitation
has been provided through the efforts of: Mary Slavin, PhD, PT,
Mark Johnston, PhD, Joseph Giacino, PhD, and other members of
the ACRM's Clinical Practice Committee. |
