Finding Evidence: Evidence-Based Practice

Best practice treatment decisions require the integration of external information, internal information, and patient factors. This article provides a tested methodology for formulating a structured question from a clinical dilemma and then transforming that question into a query appropriate for searching online evidence-based resources. Listed are some of the preeminent online databases for searching for evidence pertinent to clinicians specializing in hand surgery. Also discussed are various online methods for continuously delivering pertinent evidence to the clinician as it becomes available. The conclusion is a practical example of a literature search as it applies to a problem commonly encountered in surgical care of the upper extremity.