Summarised evidence

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Knowing what to do at the right time and place is a huge challenge especially given the fact that practitioners are so short on time.

Evidence summaries provide trustworthy, validated evidence from multiple sources, with links to the original research, to support decision making. 

What are evidence summaries?

Evidence summaries use rigorous, well-defined methodologies to summarise information that has been integrated and critically appraised from multiple primary research articles and existing international guidelines. They are considered very high quality sources of information.

You may also hear them called 'point of care resources' as they are designed to support decision making and help ensure care is based on the best evidence available.

When to use evidence summaries

These resources help health and social care practitioners to access the best evidence without having to source and read large numbers of original journal articles. Use them to inform everyday descisons at point of care, e.g. at a patient's bedside, in his/her home, in a clinic or in residential care. 

They also provide a useful overview of a topic with links to guidelines and research so can be used to create local guidance and protocols.

Which to use

Remember, the sources you choose for your search depend on your question and the purpose of your search. Visit our evidence summaries help page for a list of key features for each of the evidence summaries resources available to help you decide which will be most suitable.

Please Note: these resources will not appear in regular search results on The Knowledge Network. Simply select your preferred site and search individually.

Mobile evidence

Mobile apps are an increasingly effective way to get extremely quick access to the latest evidence. Many of the subscription services are available via an app. See the Point of Care page for details.

There are a lot of medical apps out there, so it can be difficult to know which to trust.