How Primary Care Providers Might Review Evidence on Hydration

Abstract

Primary care providers (PCPs) are increasing their use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the care they give patients. They evaluate the available evidence to determine if it applies to their patients and seek to complement their clinical experience with EBM to improve patient outcomes. In evidence-based practices, patient oriented data are valued more highly than disease oriented evidence. More than 8 million biomedical articles are published annually, but only an estimated 2% of those are relevant to improved patient outcomes (POEMs - patient oriented evidence that matters). This paper describes some of the tools used by PCPs to search for evidence and the decision-making process used to determine if they will change their practice. Understanding how PCPs evaluate research findings and other evidence can help hydration researchers frame their research questions and study reports.

• evidence-based medicine (EBM)
• information mastery
• patient oriented evidence that matters (POEMS)

Key teaching points:

• 2% of published biomedical articles are relevant to improved patient outcomes.

• Primary care providers (PCPs) use standard techniques for evaluating the usefulness of research reports. Understanding these tools may help hydration researchers frame their research questions and study reports.

• A variety of systems are used to grade evidence.

• Increasingly electronic data bases are queried at the point of care.

Key teaching points:

• 2% of published biomedical articles are relevant to improved patient outcomes.

• Primary care providers (PCPs) use standard techniques for evaluating the usefulness of research reports. Understanding these tools may help hydration researchers frame their research questions and study reports.

• A variety of systems are used to grade evidence.

• Increasingly electronic data bases are queried at the point of care.

Notes

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: This review was funded by the North American branch of the International Life Sciences Institute. The author declares that no present corporate or government relationship involves a conflict of interest, with regard to this manuscript. Drs. Lackey and Weismiller have no conflicts of interest to declare in connection with this work.

Presented at the ILSI North America 2006 Conference on Hydration and Health Promotion, November 29–30, 2006 in Washington, DC.