Easy guide to searching for evidence for the busy clinician

J Paediatr Child Health. 2012 Dec;48(12):1095-100. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2012.02503.x. Epub 2012 Jul 29.

Abstract

The busy clinician is constantly faced with clinical questions regarding patient care. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the large amount of health information available electronically. This article offers one easy approach for searching the electronic database. It is intended for the busy clinician who is unsure how to conduct an electronic search. It provides guidance on where to search and how to search using the PICO search method. It also provides a list of useful resources to help clinicians critically appraise the articles found to determine its relevance.

MeSH terms

  • Evidence-Based Practice*
  • Guidelines as Topic
  • Humans
  • Information Storage and Retrieval / methods*
  • Search Engine
  • User-Computer Interface