Evidence Based Practice — How to Do a Literature Search

Abstract

Evidence based practice has been defined as the integration of current best evidence with individual clinical expertise when making decisions about the care of individual patients (Sacket et al, 1996)

The use of one without the other does not constitute evidence-based practice. As clinicians therefore it is vital not to devalue clinical expertise developed through education and practice but it is also time that a closer look is taken at the research which should underpin our practice. It is this which maybe poses the greater challenge. The distance to the nearest library, the associated computer technology which has to be mastered, the limits on time and staffing act as disincentives rather than to encourage evidence-based practice.

This paper is the first of a series on getting evidence into practice by providing an introductory guide on how to search for literature using computer databases. Examples from the field of hand therapy are used to illustrate the different components involved in a search and how different strategies work.