Exploring the Real World: Medical Librarians' Involvement in Supporting Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) Practice

Author(s):  
Ping Li ◽  
Lin Wu

This paper reports the results of an online survey that explores medical librarians’ roles and activities in supporting EBM practice. More than 500 medical librarians replied to the survey. Data analysis reveals that librarians have been taking on various EBM-related responsibilities both routine by nature and project-related.Cet article présente les résultats d’un sondage en ligne portant sur les rôles et les activités des bibliothécaires du domaine des sciences de la santé pour soutenir les pratiques de médecine fondée sur les preuves (MFP). Plus de 500 bibliothécaires ont répondu au sondage. L’analyse des données révèlent que ces bibliothécaires ont participé à des activités routinières et à des projets relevant du domaine de la MFP. 

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Ghali ◽  
Richard Saitz ◽  
Peter M. Sargious ◽  
Warren Y. Hershman ◽  

2013 ◽  
pp. 191-200
Author(s):  
Roberto Nardi ◽  
Tatiana Fabbri ◽  
Gelorma Belmonte ◽  
Paolo Leandri ◽  
Magda Mazzetti ◽  
...  

Background: Internal medicine has been defined as the specialty of the adult medical complex patients. Complexity science suggests that illness (and health) results from complex, dynamic, and unique interactions between different components of the overall system. In a patient, complexity involves the intricate entanglement of two or more systems (e.g.; body-diseases, family, socioeconomic status, therapies). Aim of the study: To evaluate the real applicability of Evidence Based Medicne (EBM) in clinical Departments of Internal Medicine and its critical perspectives. Discussion: Habitually the internist takes decisions in these situations: a) certainty (the ideal decision is adopted and the corresponding strategy follows), b) risk (the more suitable alternative selected can be the determination of the probable value or mathematical hope) and c) uncertainty, in which decisions linked to triple agents: beliefs and personal values of the doctors (I) for their patients (II) in the society (III). In the medical decisions there are often different factors that go beyond the field of technical and scientific knowledge (family, social, economic problems, etc.) and demanding an ethical analysis of the decision. Conclusions: The ‘‘evidence-based medicine’’, as other models of care, has — in itself — some limitations. ‘‘No evidence in medicine’’ matters that the postulates of the EBM are not always applicable to the real patients of Internal Medicine wards, mostly elderly, frail, complex, with comorbidities and polipharmacy, often with cognitive dysfunction and limitation of autonomy, with psycho-emotional, social and economic problems. The interacting effects of overall involved diseases/factors and their management require more complex and individualised care than simply the sum of separate guideline components. Further innovation is required to resolve the need to enhance integration of evidence with our patients’ values at the ‘‘bedside and/or clinic’’ management.


Author(s):  
Karan B. Bhanushali ◽  
Nikita Gupta ◽  
Vinayak Mishra ◽  
Heena Asnani

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a tremendous amount of literature published regularly. In a country like India, historically, where there is a paternalistic approach to practicing medicine, there is a lot of hindrance to evidence-based medicine (EBM). Doctors have always weighed one's clinical experience superior over any other form of decision-making. This system of practice has made decision-making difficult for the physicians during this pandemic as COVID-19 is a reasonably new disease entity and the physicians lack enough 'prior experience' dealing with such a situation. Our survey tries to address the common barriers to evidence-based medical practices especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. We also try to explore the various source of information used by the doctors. Methods: It is a descriptive cross-sectional survey. The questions were provided in multiple-choice question format. An online survey comprising of 10 questions entitled “Hurdles faced by physicians to assimilate evidence-based guidelines on COVID-19” was made using Google Forms (Google Inc, California, US) and circulated through email to medical practitioners in the Ghatkopar (Mumbai, India) Medical Association's register from 17th June 2020 to 1st September 2020. Results: Our survey collected 213 responses, out of which 80.3% (n=171) of doctors were involved in care, counseling, or management of COVID-19 patients. The most opted primary sources for evidence-based information during this pandemic were teachings of/discussions with medical colleagues (71.4%, n=152), followed by online webinars (59.6%, n= 127) and social media (41.8%, n=89). When questioned about the main obstacles faced by them to obtain evidence-based information, the responses were as follows: Overload of medical literature (53.5%, n=114), limited access to quality resources (40.8%, n=87), unfamiliarity with the bio-statistics analysis (39%, n= 83), difficulty in locating relevant medical literature (38%, n=81), unfamiliarity with the research methodology (37.1%, n=79), lack of time (30%, n=64).  Our respondents' perspective concerning EBM attributes: 57.3% (n=122) think evidence-based practice takes their clinical experience into account. 93.4% (n=199) of them have shown an interest in broadening their skills. There was no significant difference between doctors' attitudes with less than 10 years and more than 10 years of experience (chi-square value = 0.857, p = 0.65). Conclusion: Our survey results highlight the balance maintained between evidence-based medicine and experience-based medicine by Indian physicians. They identify the importance of EBM while acknowledging its shortcomings. They realize the significance of developing their repertoire to understand, appraise, and practice EBM. Keywords: EBM, COVID-19


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