Module 2 Question 3: Indices

I found the electronic index the easiest to use in terms of researching a clinical question. I frequently review guidelines but it is difficult to find a definitive clinical answer without reading the supporting data. I do not have the same level of confidence in a clinical guideline as I do in a review of the literature. Guidelines are situation and specialty specific. A guideline from Europe may not be accepted in the U.S. A guideline from internal medicine may not have the same recommendations as a guideline from endocrinology. Web search engines are entertaining and may retreive more information on alternative therapies than PubMed but I think their use is limited in evidence based practice. I may do a web engine search to develop a search strategy and learn more about a topic but I would always go back to PubMed or another appropriate electronic database for actual research. All resources are useful for information retrieval but the researcher has the responsibility to determine the quality of the research needed. I read texts and journal articles in print as alternative methods of developing a research strategy. Texts and journal articles onpoint have references that I may not be able to find online.