Physical Therapy (DPT)

You can find systematic review articles in almost all of the health science databases.  Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews contains full text articles, as well as protocols focusing on the effects of healthcare.  Systematic reviews are at the top of the Evidence Pyramid, meaning they have a high level of evidence, but also there aren't as many of them. Be aware that you may need to broaden your topic in order to find relevant systematic reviews.

Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) includes abstracts of published systematic reviews on the effects of health care from around the world, which have been critically analyzed according to a high standard of criteria. This database provides access to quality reviews in subjects for which a Cochrane review may not yet exist.

You can also search for Systematic Reviews by using the "Advanced Search" feature in our EBSCO databases.  Under "Publication Type", scroll down and select "Systematic Review".

You can search for case studies in our databases as well.  When conducting your search, specify the Publication/Document Type ("Case Study") in the Advanced Search feature on CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Medline Complete, and ProQuest Health & Medical Complete.

In clinical research, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the preferred method to study the safety and efficacy of current treatments. RCTs are used to answer patient-related inquiries and are required by governmental regulatory bodies as the basis for approval decisions.  You can find randomized controlled trials within several of our databases:

• Cochrane Controlled Trials Register is a bibliography of controlled trials identified by contributors to the Cochrane Collaboration and others, as part of an international effort to hand search the world's journals and create an unbiased source of data for systematic reviews.
• In the Advanced Search feature on MEDLINE Complete, you can modify your search options by selecting "Randomized Controlled Trial" under the "Publication Type" section.

• CINAHL Plus with Full Text offers this same tool in its Advanced Search option, in addition to a "Randomized Controlled Trials" button located on the left-hand side of the page under the "Limit your results" section.