The contribution of information technology to improving clinicians' access to high quality evidence.
OBJECTIVE
Rapid access to the results of high quality research studies for real time use during clinical care is the aim of evidence-based medicine.


METHODS
The current volume and methods of disseminating research findings are barriers to this goal. Electronic publishing, CD-ROMs for personal computers, and Internet-based databases and searching are tools helping to overcome these barriers.


RESULTS
Several examples in the United Kingdom and United States employing these tools are described.


CONCLUSIONS
Technology is making traditional narrative reviews such as printed textbooks obsolete for the practice of evidence-based medicine.
Geddes
J R
JR
University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, United Kingdom.
D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000639:trends*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D009862:Online Systems / Q000639:trends*; D011643:Publishing / Q000639:trends*; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States