Clinical Guidelines
What is a guideline?
A “Clinical Practice Guideline” (CPG) has been defined in a very structured manner by the Institute of Medicine as a “systematically developed statement to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.”
“Evidence-based” implies that the document or recommendation has been created using an unbiased and transparent process of systematically reviewing, appraising, and using the best clinical research findings of the highest value to aid in the delivery of optimum clinical care to patients.
(From Defining Clinical Practice Guidelines by Waters.)
The US Preventive Services Task Force
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is part of the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (http://www.ahrq.gov)
The USPSTF is an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention who:- Systematically review the evidence for effectiveness of various preventive services
- Evaluate the benefits of individual services based on age, gender, and risk factors for disease
- Make recommendations about which preventive services should be routinely incorporated into primary medical care for specific populations
- NOTE: These recommendations are for asymptomatic patients only
ePSS is the app the assists clinicians to quickly search the USPSTF recommendations.
ePSS is available on Android, iPad, iPhone, Windows, and the Web.
Finding Clinical Answers
Contains articles on conditions and diseases. the articles are peer-reviewed, written by physicians, and often described as a clinical knowledge base. Can be a good resource for background information. Seems to be more feature rich on a desktop or laptop than on a mobile device (including the iPad).
NOTE: Register for an UpToDate account on a computer connected to the URMC network.
-Download the free app from your usual app store and log in with the UpToDate user name and password created during the registration process.
-UpToDate requires that you verify your affiliation with URMC or Highland Hospital by logging in to UpToDate from a computer connected to the URMC network at least once every 90 days. The mobile app will notify you when you need to verify your affiliation
A collection of textbooks and other tools.
- DeGowin's Diagnostic Evaulation
- GoodMan & Gillman's The Pharmacologic Basis of Therapeutics
- Hurst's The Heart
- Schwartz' Principles of Surgery
- Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine
- Williams Hematology
- Harrison's.
- Other books cover: biostatistics, pathology, gross anatomy, physiology, histology, biochemistry, epidemiology, health policy, and more.
- Differential diagnoses tool: Diagnosaurus
A very large collection of books, journals, and other resources from Elsevier. Includes:
- Books: Medical and surgical reference books and textbooks
- Journals: Over 600 journals
- Procedures Consults:
- First Consul: over 850 point-of-care clinical monographs
- Drug monographs
- Patient education materials
- Clinical Trial information from ClinicalTrials.gov
- Practice Guidelines
- MEDLINE citations
- Images, medical & surgical videos
Micromedex
Micromedex is URMC's drug database. As a point-of-care resource, users can access evidence-based content quickly via desktop or mobile device. Information includes:
- Indications and Dosing – includes efficacy, strength of evidence, and strength of recommendation ratings
- Regulatory Status and Generic Availability – displayed in the summary document
- Drug Toxicity – provides information on clinical effects, treatment, and range of toxicity
- Patient Education – offers point-of-care counseling information for clinicians to use when educating patients about their medications
Mobile App Download Directions
The IBM Micromedex Drug Ref and IBM Micromedex Drug Int. apps are available for free, through URMC's licensing agreement. They are available for download on Apple and Android devices. The apps require a password. Follow the instructions below.
On the Micromedex homepage page, scroll to the bottom right-hand corner of the page and click on “Download Mobile Apps”.
The next page provides instructions for accessing the mobile apps. The password you need is listed in Step 4 of the webpage instructions. These instructions accompany each of the three IBM Micromedex apps (Drug Ref, Drug Int, and IV Comp). Since this is a public library guide, we have blanked out the password. This password periodically changes.
Once you have the password, use it to login into your Micromedex apps. You are now ready to begin using your Micromedex apps.
The IBM Micromedex Druf Ref and IBM Micromedex Drug Int. apps are available for free, through URMC's licensing agreement. They are available for download on Apple and Android devices. The apps require a password. Follow the instructions below.
On the Micromedex homepage page, scroll to the bottom right-hand corner of the page and click on “Download Mobile Apps”.
The next page provides instructions for accessing the mobile apps. The password you need is listed in Step 4 of the webpage instructions. These instructions accompany each of the three IBM Micromedex apps (Drug Ref, Drug Int, and IV Comp). Since this is a public library guide, we have blanked out the password. This password periodically changes.
Once you have the password, use it to login into your Micromedex apps. You are now ready to begin using your Micromedex apps.