New Technology Helps Physicians Answer Clinical Questions

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 07 Dec 2005 - 4:00 PDT

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In a randomized controlled trial of 52 primary care physicians, researchers found that physicians who used DynaMed, an online clinical reference resource designed to answer questions that arise at the point of care, answered more of their clinical questions and found more answers that change clinical decision making than physicians who did not have access to the tool.

Physicians Answer More Clinical Questions and Change Clinical Decisions More Often with Synthesized Evdience: A Randomized Trial in Primary Care
By Brian S. Alper, M.D., M.S.P.H., et al.

*Conflict of Interest: Dr. Alper is the founding principal of Dynamic Medical Information Systems, LLC and the editor-in-chief of DynaMed.

Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care discipline. Launched in May 2003, the journal is sponsored by six family medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Medicine, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors and the North American Primary Care Research Group. Annals is published six times each year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services areas, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials. A board of directors with representatives from each of the sponsoring organizations oversees Annals. Complete editorial content and interactive discussion groups for each published article can be accessed free of charge on the journal's Web site, http://www.annfammed.org.

Angela Sharma
asharma@aafp.org
American Academy of Family Physicians
Nov/Dec 2005 Annals of Family Medicine
http://www.aafp.org

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