Online Evidence in General Practice: Trial of the Quick Clinical Evidence Retrieval System

Background: Easy access to reliable and up-to-date evidence at the point of care may help clinicians be evidence-based. This paper describes the clinical trial of Quick Clinical, an information retrieval system designed around the needs of a busy general practitioner. Methods: General practitioners were asked to use Quick Clinical to answer questions arising in their practice for four weeks. Frequency and purpose of system use was determined from data collected via automatically generated computer log files and self-reports via online user feedback. Participants were asked to complete online pre- and post-trial surveys. An online tutorial and help-desk support was provided. Results: 193 GPs performed 1680 searches. QC was often used in the routine clinical setting to answer a broad range of clinical questions about both common and rare conditions. GPs were able to find clinically relevant evidence using QC. The most frequent questions related to diagnosis (37%) and treatment (32%). Implications: Online evidence systems are a useful tool for answering clinical questions in general practice. Further trials to evaluate both efficacy and effectiveness are required prior to substantial investment and promulgation of online evidence retrieval systems in general practice.