Evidence synthesis is a type of research method that allows researchers to bring together all relevant information on a research question. This can be useful to identify gaps in knowledge, establish an evidence base for best-practice guidance, or help inform policymakers and practitioners. There are many types of outputs that use evidence synthesis, such as policy briefs, systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines and so on. (Centre for Evaluation, LSHTM)

Evidence-informed practice relies upon nurses' ability to conduct the appropriate form of evidence synthesis in order to make informed decisions. In the following pages you will find guidance on conducting literature reviews and systematic reviews, which are two primary forms of evidence synthesis. You will also find guidance on the kinds of available evidence and where to find it. 

Nurses rely on evidence to inform their clinical decisions and nursing practice. Evidence-based practice has been defined as “the conscientious integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values and needs in the delivery of quality, cost-effective health care” (Sacket, Strauss, Rosenberg, & Haynes, 2000). This instructional page provides access to a selection of resources for key steps of the evidence-informed practice process.

Step 1: Asking clinical questions

• Evidence-Based Practice Tutorial NB May not run on Chrome for Windows, so try another browser. (University of Minnesota Libraries)

Step 2: Searching for evidence

• PubMed Clinical Queries
• PICO parser for searching Medline (Duke University)  
• See also -- Search Tutorials
• See also -- Systematic Reviews and Clinical Practice Guidelines

Step 3: Appraising the evidence

• International Centre for Allied health Evidence: Critical appraisal tools -- provides links to many appraisal sheets for different types of studies
• AGREE Instrument -- for the appraisal of clinical practice guidelines
• CONSORT Statement -- for the appraisal of randomized controlled trials

Step 4: Applying the evidence to practice

• Learn about knowledge translation --
  • Knowledge Translation Clearing House Repository of Knowledge Translation resources
  • About Knowledge Translation (Canadian Institutes for Health Research)
  • KT Pathways - (Michael Smith Foundation) a digital learning and assessment tool, designed to help researchers, policy makers, and practitioners understand what competencies are involved in knowledge translation (KT), assess their competency, and provide appropriate resources to improve KT knowledge and skills.
• Patient Decision Aids (provided by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute)

Selected online resources about evidence-informed practice

• Evidence-Based Practice Network at Lipincott's Nursing Center.com
• Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 
• National Guideline Clearinghouse - United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

The Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Practice Database 

• Evidence Based Practice Tools, including JBI SUMARI (under the EBP Tools dropdown menu). Note: to access JBI's Evidence-based Practice Tools, you'll need to create a personal account with OVID. For help setting up an Ovid account, click here.

Selected resources for learning about evidence-informed practice

• American Journal of Nursing's series on Evidence-Based Practice
• Center for Evidence-Based Medicine page of the CIHR Knowledge Translation Clearinghouse website
• Evidence-based practice: An interprofessional tutorial (the University of Wisconsin)
• Fraser Health Knowledge Translation resources
• Evidence Based Practice  OVID Wolters Kluwer (6 streaming videos on YouTube)

See also -- Systematic Reviews