Evidence Based Content
"(it) brings all of that evidence and research together, to assimilate it"
Prof. Sue Bale
Associate Nursing Director R&D Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust
The Map of Medicine is a distillation of recognised international sources of clinical evidence and guidance that are systematically searched and reviewed by information specialists working with experienced clinicians.
In addition, clinical experience is incorporated through expert review by a large network of external cinicians employed by public sector healthcare organisations.
The content of the Map of Medicine has been developed with experts in evidence-based medicine (EBM). This involves applying results from rigorous research studies, typically randomised and double blind clinical trials to professional practice in order to improve the quality of services to patients and healthcare organisations. However, in practice there are many situations where the research studies are yet to be done and evidence based medicine needs to be integrated with collective clinical experience and expertise ('tacit' knowledge). Uniquely, it is this combination of evidence and tacit knowledge that is incorporated into the Map of Medicine.
Standard tools, both bespoke and off-the-shelf, are used throughout the process to ensure consistent production processes. A multi-level sign off and review structure guarantees post-production quality.
Map of Medicine Content
The Map is a distilled view of the major, credible international sources of information
All the information within the Map of Medicine goes through a rigorous creation process to ensure it meets the user's demand for clinical knowledge. It is a distilled view of the major, credible international sources of information, along with complementary knowledge based upon clinicians' experiences of treating and managing conditions.
The Development Process
Map of Medicine works with evidence based suppliers, the world’s most authoritative and respected organisations and practising clinicians to ensure the identification of the best available evidence to answer questions relating to a specific pathway.
Information specialists search global sources of information from university reserach output, medical organisations and bodies, government and pan-national organisations
Authoring
Trained medical librarians or information scientists perform a rigorous, systematic, transparent and documented literature search. A relevant clinician will then appraise the results for clinically and methodologically relevant references. These undergo a full critical appraisal, with assistance from a clinical epidemiologist where appropriate, before consideration for inclusion into the pathway’s evidence base.
A team of senior clinicians, scientists and editors collaborate to compose the evidence based information.
Peer review
Following authoring, each new pathway undergoes a peer review by at least two experts including a specialist/consultant, a generalist or others appropriate to the pathway, eg. a physiotherapist or clinical nurse specialist. Their comments may provide amendments to the pathway, which are appraised by the authors alongside the original evidence before being incorporated.
Stringent internal clinical, editorial and production quality assurance processes ensures the pathway is fit for publishing.
For pathways already in the Map of Medicine, a continuous literature search and appraisal process ensures that updates can be made to the content at a frequency matching the end-users' requirements.
For more information regarding our approach to content development, please click here
