Links
All about evidence-based practice… Links to other web sites
This page offers some of the key links to evidence-based practice resources available on the Internet, some of which are directly relevant to occupational therapy. It is by no means a comprehensive listing. Click on one of the selections below for links.
Evidence-based Occupational Therapy Links
OT-CATS
http://www.otcats.com This site contains CATs (critically appraised topics) and CAPs (critically appraised papers) focussing on occupational therapy interventions.
Evidence Based Practice Research Group
School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
http://www.shrs.uq.edu.au/evidence-based-practice
This research group is concerned with the development of systems to provide support for evidence-based practice in occupational therapy (including OTseeker) and allied health in general, strategies for research translation, and providing methodological support for systematic reviews.
Centre for Evidence-Based Rehabilitation
http://www.srs-mcmaster.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=630
Provides links to evidence based learning resources, steps for the evidence-based practice process and contact information for research themes within the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Follow the links to The McMaster University Occupational Therapy Evidence-Based Practice Research Group which aims to focus on research that critically reviews evidence regarding the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions. This group have developed tools to use in the evaluation of occupational therapy programmes and guidelines for critical appraisal. This site gives online access to the group's critical appraisal forms and guidelines (quantitative and qualitative) as well as to 2 systematic reviews.
Joint Position Statement on Evidence Based Occupational Therapy (Canada)
http://www.caot.ca/default.asp?pageid=156
This is a joint position statement from Canada that reviews the background, information, responsibilities and challenges required for evidence-based occupational therapy. It was written in 1999 by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT), the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy University Programs (ACOTUP), the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO), and the Presidents' Advisory Committee (PAC)
American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AOTA)
http://www.aota.org/ajot
See the Evidence-Based Practice series
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/aot
Publishes Critically Appraised Papers
OT Australia
http://www.ausot.com.au
One of the primary supporters of OTseeker.
World Federation of Occupational Therapists
http://www.wfot.com
The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) actively supports Evidence Based Practice through its "Clinical Resources" section on the WFOT website. WFOT is currently in the process of forming an International Advisory Group on Evidence Based Practice as part of its Standards and Quality Programme.
Other Organisations
CASP - Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (UK)
http://www.casp-uk.net/
This site includes critical appraisal checklists that can be downloaded (for systematic reviews, RCTs, cohort studies, qualitative research) information on appraisal workshops, as well as brief tutorials on quantitative and qualitative methodological issues.
Centre for Evidence- Based Medicine (Canada)
http://www.cebm.utoronto.ca
This site contains many useful resources (critical appraisal sheets, teaching resources, calculators for interpreting statistics). It also serves as a support for the book "Evidence-based Medicine: How to practice and teach EBM" by David L. Sackett, Sharon E. Straus, W. Scott Richardson, William Rosenberg, and R. Brian Haynes.
Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (UK)
http://www.cebm.net
This site has many useful links, information on levels of evidence, research methodologies, critically appraised topics (mainly medical), tutorials on EBM and links to the Evidence Based journal series.
Centre for Evidence- Based Mental Health
http://www.cebmh.com
This site offers support for mental health professionals by providing access to high quality evidence-based mental health information as well as providing training. From this site you can access publications such as Evidence-Based Mental Health and mental health guidelines.
Cochrane Collaboration
http://www.cochrane.org
This is the web site for the Cochrane Collaboration and provides information about the Cochrane Collaboration, as well as the abstracts of the Cochrane reviews.
Systematic Review Abstracts in Spanish
http://www.cochrane.es
The Cochrane Collaboration now also provides abstracts of systematic reviews in Spanish.
Joanna Briggs Institute (Australia)
http://www.joannabriggs.edu.au
This site contains systematic reviews, mostly related to the nursing profession. These reviews can be downloaded, some for free. This site also includes 'Best Practice' information sheets that can be downloaded at no charge. Joanna Briggs established formal links with associated EBP groups in other professions, including occupational therapy in 2002.
Treatment Outcomes Committee of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine
http://www.aacpdm.org
The Treatment Outcomes Committee of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) aims to critically appraise research relevant to developmental disability. It then presents this in summarised evidence tables. It provides excellent debate on the issue of 'levels of evidence' and has developed a classification of levels of evidence giving detailed recognition of evidence from single subject designs.
The National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS)
http://www.nicsl.com.au/
The National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) is Australia’s national agency for improving health care by helping close important gaps between best available evidence and current clinical practice.
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Databases
Clinical Evidence
http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/about/index.jsp
This page provides you with information about the journal, 'Clinical Evidence'.
Clinical Trials.gov (USA)
http://clinicaltrials.gov
This site has been developed by the National Institute of Health with the aim of providing "patients, family members and members of the public current information about clinical research studies".
Cochrane Library
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/106568753/HOME
This site provides information on The Cochrane Library and links to its many resources, including Abstracts of Cochrane Systematic Reviews.
Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE)
http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/crdweb
National Guideline Clearinghouse (USA)
http://www.guidelines.gov
This site contains a range of clinical guidelines of varying quality. You are also able to subscribe to an update service that will email you when new guidelines become available.
PEDro - Physiotherapy Evidence Database
http://www.pedro.org.au
PEDro refers to the Physiotherapy Evidence Database and is an initiative of the Centre for Evidence-Based Physiotherapy (CEBP) in Sydney, Australia. PEDro aims to give physiotherapists and others rapid access to bibliographic details and abstracts of randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews in physiotherapy. All randomised controlled trials included in the database have been rated on the PEDro rating scale for quality (from 0-10) to help you quickly discriminate between trials which are likely to be valid and interpretable and those which are not. PEDro contains many trials of relevance to occupational therapy. The site includes an extremely useful tutorial. Check this site out.
PsychBITE
http://www.PsycBITE.com
PsycBITE is an free evidence database that catalogues studies of cognitive, behavioural and other treatments for psychological problems and issues occurring as a consequence of acquired brain impairment. Types of studies contained and appraised for quality on PsycBITE are: systematic reviews, RCTS, non-RCTs, case series, and single case experimental designs.
PubMed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
A free access bibliographic database that includes Medline
Rehab+
http://plus.mcmaster.ca/rehab
This is a searchable database of the best evidence pre-rated for quality by research staff, then rated for clinical relevance and interest by at least 3 members of a worldwide panel of practicing occupational and physical therapists.
speechBITE
http://www.speechbite.com
speechBITE is an free evidence database that catalogues studies of treatments for relevant to speech pathology. Types of studies contained and appraised for quality on speechBITE are: systematic reviews, RCTS, non-RCTs, case series, and single case experimental designs.
Turning Research Into Practice (TRIP) Database
http://www.tripdatabase.com/index.html
"The TRIP Database is a meta-search engine that searches across 61 sites of high-quality medical information. By searching the TRIP Database you have direct, hyperlinked access to the largest collection of 'evidence-based' material on the web as well as articles from premier on-line journals such as the BMJ, JAMA, NEJM etc".
Journals and User's Guides to the Literature
American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AOTA)
http://www.aota.org/
See the Evidence-Based Practice series
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/aot
Publishes Critically Appraised Papers
BMJ.com
http://bmj.com
The full text of articles in the British Medical Journal are available online at this site. The BMJ has many useful articles discussing quantitative and qualitative research methodologies as well as evidence-based practice issues.
Clinical Evidence
http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/about/index.jsp
This page provides you with information about the journal, 'Clinical Evidence'.
Evidence Based Medicine
http://ebm.bmjjournals.com
Evidence Based Mental Health
http://www.ebmentalhealth.com
Free Medical Journals.com
http://www.freemedicaljournals.com/
Users' Guides to the Health Care Literature
http://www.cche.net/usersguides/main.asp
This site provides access to the complete set of Users' Guide to Evidence-Based Practice - these guides are extremely informative and helpful.
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Other Resources
NHS Evidence
http://www.library.nhs.uk/Default.aspx
NHS Evidence is an extensive resource with access to many useful resources. Some content requires a password login.
Social Care Online
http://www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/
Social Care Online provides access to the UK's most complete range of information and research on all aspects of social care and includes journal articles, websites, research reviews, legislation and government documents, and service user knowledge.
The Campbell Collaboration
http://www.campbellcollaboration.org
The International Campbell Collaboration (C2) is a non-profit organisation
that aims to help people make well-informed decisions about the effects of
interventions in the social, behavioural and educational arenas.