This document provides an overview of a presentation about the clinical librarian's role in evidence-based practice. It discusses how clinical librarians can help identify and access the best available evidence to support effective clinical practice. Specifically, it outlines the services clinical librarians offer, key resources like NICE Evidence and HDAS, and how to find, access, and appraise evidence. It also discusses levels of evidence, what clinical librarians are, how they can help with evidence-based medicine/practice, and the training they provide on topics like searching, critical appraisal, and reference management. The document emphasizes getting an Athens account for access to e-resources and provides contact details for the clinical librarian.

1. Demystifying The Evidence:
...the Clinical Librarian's role in identifying and
accessing the best available evidence to support
effective clinical practice?
Abir Mukherjee
Clinical Librarian
UCL RNTNEH & Eastman

2. Overview of today’s session
• (1) What we offer: UCL/UCLH Lib services
EBP & the role of Clinical Librarians
• (2) Key resources
NICE Evidence, HDAS, Open Athens, eResources,
eBooks
• (3) Finding , Accessing & Appraising the Evidence
Summary /Contact details for further help &
Any Questions?

3. Why search for evidence for every day clinical
practice?
“Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and
judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions
about the care of individual patients.
The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating
individual clinical expertise with the best available external
clinical evidence from systematic research.”
Sackett et al BMJ 1996;312:71-72 (13 January)

4. Evidence-based practice
Searching for & critically appraising resources are fundamental
aspects of evidence-based practice – in order to use the best
available clinical evidence you have to first determine what it is!
• Formulate an answerable
question
• Track down the best evidence
• Critically appraise the evidence
• Apply the evidence

5. Levels of Evidence
This hierarchy can
be used to choose
what resources to
use and when
Secondary
Research
Includes evidence-based
clinical summaries and
patient pathways
Primary
Research
POC tools

6. What are Clinical Librarians?
• Facilitate knowledge flow for clinical staff
• Enable access to resources remotely
• Assist with health information needs at point-of-
care
eg Hospitals/Wards/Ward business meetings
• Promote library services available to NHS Staff

7. How the Clinical Librarian can help you with
EBM/EBP
• Find the best available healthcare evidence
• Make sense of resources found through critical
appraisal training & support programmes
• Set up Athens accounts for NHS resources
• Mediated lit searches & document supply
• Workshops teaching searching + appraisal skills
• Bespoke current awareness bulletins
• Help setting up/running Journal Clubs

8. 1-to-1
small group
workplace (outreach)
libraries
L&D
• Finding the evidence
• Searching healthcare
databases
• Critical appraisal
• Reference management
• Writing for publication
• Current awareness/alerts
Skills/training to develop your
evidence-based practice

9. Athens authentication
Get an Athens
account
https://openathens.nice.org.uk/
An Athens account enables free
access to many e-resources from any
computer
For a complete list go to
MyAthens
www.athensams.net/myathens/

15. Cochrane Library
The Cochrane
Library is a
collection of six
databases
containing different
types of high-
quality, independent
evidence
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
http://www.thecochranelibrary.com
•Effects of interventions for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
•Accuracy of diagnostic tests for a given scenario

17. Introduction to Critical Appraisal
• Critical appraisal is the process of carefully and
systematically examining research to judge its
trustworthiness, value and relevance in context
• In other words has the research been undertaken
in a way that makes the findings reliable?
• And if so, are the findings relevant and applicable
to your patient(s)?

18. 3 step process of appraisal
1. Identify the research method used
- Quantitative OR qualitative
2. Identify the research methodology & whether it
is appropriate
- RCT or Systematic review?
3. Checklists to focus your appraisal
- CASP

19. • Athens accounts for access to e-
resources
• Try the walk-in and e-resources available
• Contact rnidlib@ucl.ac.uk for help
searching healthcare databases and
finding resources at your workplace
• Get in touch for more help /training
Take home messages

20. Abir Mukherjee
Outreach / Clinical Librarian
Email: rnidlib@ucl.ac.uk
Contact details/ Questions?