Wk02-04-Lecture 3- Evidence Based Practice

Step Two of Evidence-Based Practice

  • Focus on searching for evidence after developing a clinical question.

  • Importance of high-quality evidence in addressing clinical or academic questions.

Types of Evidence

  • Not all evidence is created equal; varying quality exists.

Low-Quality Evidence

  • Websites

    • Example: Wikipedia; often contains outdated or incorrect information.

    • Not peer-reviewed; lack of certainty about the information's validity.

  • Peer or Colleagues

    • Opinions vary based on personal experience and knowledge.

    • Often relies on anecdotal evidence; not reliable.

Moderate-Quality Evidence

  • Health Textbooks

    • Undergo an editing process and utilize multiple sources.

    • Can be accessed in hardcopy or as e-books.

    • May be outdated quickly due to delays in publishing.

  • Government Health Websites

    • Example: New South Wales Health, WHO.

    • Generally reliable but requires checking for recency of information.

High-Quality Evidence

  • Peer-Reviewed Journals

    • Include research papers reviewed by experts before publication.

    • Recognized journals: The Lancet, BMJ, New England Journal of Medicine.

    • Expected sources for academic assignments.

  • Clinical Practice Guidelines

    • Created by experts through systematic reviews of existing research.

    • Offer recommendations on specific health conditions; high-quality evidence for treatment effectiveness.

Searching for Evidence

  • Limitations of Google

    • Google results can't guarantee accuracy; lacks filtering for quality.

    • Wikipedia often appears at the top but is not suitable for academic writing.

  • Alternative Search Options

    • Google Scholar: Directs to peer-reviewed articles but less comprehensive.

    • Library Search (Newcastle University Library): Central resource for high-quality information.

    • Large medical databases (Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library) will be explored in future subjects.

Conducting a Quality Evidence Search

  • Importance of using pre-appraised evidence; ensures a certain quality standard through the peer review process.

  • Awareness of variable quality among studies; must evaluate studies critically.

Application Example

  • Clinical question: "Do childhood vaccinations cause autism?"

    • Use Library Search and medical databases with keywords "vaccination" and "autism."

    • Focus on high-quality, recent studies, selecting a 2021 Cochrane Systematic Review for evidence.

Student Expectations for HLSC1000

  • Use Library Search for background evidence for Part A of the written assignment.

    • Suggested sources: recent hardcopy textbooks, online e-books, general review articles.

    • Google Scholar as a supplementary resource.

  • For Part B, evaluate three peer-reviewed studies from a provided reading list.

    • Aims to ensure consistency and simpler navigation for students.