OT Seeker
Note: Since OT Seeker lost its funding in 2016, its database is not comprehensive for recent years.
OTseeker is a database that contains abstracts of systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials and other resources relevant to occupational therapy interventions. Most trials have been critically appraised for their validity and interpretability. In one database, OTseeker provides fast and easy access to information from a wide range of sources to inform occupational therapy.
Resources for Answering Background Questions
A number of textbooks, handbooks and databases may be consulted to effectively answer background questions. The library also has many ebook collections which you can check out on the Downloading eBooks Research Guide.
- DynaMed This link opens in a new window A clinical reference tool for physicians and health care professionals for use at the point-of-care. With clinically-organized summaries for more than 3,200 topics. (NVCC)
Library Resources
Healthcare-Related Databases
- CINAHL Complete (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature- EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Over 1400 full text journals representing many medical disciplines. The most comprehensive resource for nursing and allied health literature. Search options include peer-reviewed journal articles, evidence-based care plans, quick lessons, patient teaching materials, case studies, continuing education units (CEU), and more. (VCCS)
- DynaMed This link opens in a new window A clinical reference tool for physicians and health care professionals for use at the point-of-care. With clinically-organized summaries for more than 3,200 topics. (NVCC)
- Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Over 400 peer-reviewed, full text journals representing many medical disciplines; strong coverage of nursing and allied health. Includes Merriam-Webster's Medical Desk Dictionary and Lexi-PALS Drug Guide, a collection of drug patient education sheets. (VIVA)
- MEDLINE (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window The world’s pre-eminent health sciences database. While available freely online via the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts provides an alternate interface. (VIVA)
- Nursing Reference Center Plus This link opens in a new window Evidence-based resource designed for point of care. Includes videos, evidence-based care sheets, quick lessons, patient education handouts, drug information and continuing education materials. (NVCC)
- PubMed This link opens in a new window The world’s pre-eminent health sciences database. A free resource that allows you to search millions of journal citations and abstracts in the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and preclinical sciences. (VIVA)
EBP Metasearch
A free clinical search engine, designed to allow users to quickly and easily find and use high-quality research evidence to support their practice and/or care. As well as research evidence Trip also allow clinicians to search across other content types including images, videos, patient information leaflets, educational courses and news. Trip stands for "Translating Research Into Practice".
Occupational Therapy Resources
- Disability Resources Premier site for disabilities information, current issues, extensive listings of all topics
- MEDLINEPlus (National Library of Medicine) -- Health topics, Drug information, Dictionaries, Directories,Government publications, newsletters, and references for the consumer and professional.
- AOTA's Evidence-Based Practice Divided into sections such as Children & Youth, Productive Aging and Rehabilitation & Disability, each section has an evidence-based practice area with an extensive lists of links.
- Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy A web portal designed to provide strategies, knowledge and resources to aid occupational therapists in finding out about and using evidence.
- OT CATS Occupational Therapy Critically Appraised Topics - evaluation of the literature on a particular OT topic.
- MOHO Clearinghouse Model of Human Occupation Clearinghouse from the University of Illinois seeks to provide students, practitioners, educators, and researchers with information and resources related to the Model of Human Occupation.
- American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinical Quality & Research
- National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) The scope of work of the NCDDR responds to NIDRR's concern for increasing the effective use of NIDRR-sponsored research results in shaping new technologies, improving service delivery, and expanding decision-making options for people with disabilities and their families.
- Stroke Engine (McGill University) StrokEngine's content is derived from multiple sources including the Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation (EBRSR) headed by Dr. Teasell in London, Ontario and extensive reviews of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, HealthSTAR, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, CANCERLIT, PsycINFO. The goal is to provide you with best practice information, that is practice that is based on scientific evidence of its effectiveness.
PEDro
PEDro is the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. PEDro is a free database of over 25,000 randomised trials, systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines in physiotherapy. For each trial, review or guideline, PEDro provides the citation details, the abstract and a link to the full text, where possible. All trials on PEDro are independently assessed for quality. These quality ratings are used to quickly guide users to trials that are more likely to be valid and to contain sufficient information to guide clinical practice. PEDro is produced by the Centre for Evidence-Based Physiotherapy at The George Institute for Global Health.
Free Online Resources
National Guidelines Clearinghouse
A public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines from more than 100 institutions and organizations. It is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the American Medical Association and the American Association of Health Plans. Note: Due to a loss of funding in 2018, no new guidelines have been added since then.
Professional Organizations such as the American Heart Association, the National Cancer Institute, the American Psychiatric Association or the American Academy of Pediatrics may post relevant evidence based medicine reviews or practice guidelines based on ebm reviews on their Web sites.
At least some of these, prior to late 2018, will be picked up by the National Guidelines Clearinghouse.
Some specific organizational guideline links can be found to the left, in the center column of this guide.