About the Guided Search

Your pathway through EPOCH resources to help prioritise best evidence for decision-making and research.

Image of the evidence-based practice 6S Pyramid model that organises sources of health evidence across six levels starting at the bottom level with 1. Single Studies and moving up to 2. Synopses of Single Studies; 3. Syntheses; 4. Synopses of Syntheses; 5. Summaries; and 6. Systems

The 6S Pyramid Guided Search is an evidence-based practice tool that presents a course of action for the busy practitioner who wants to search EPOCH resources for the highest quality research most relevant to their issue of interest, quickly and efficiently.

We recommend you clearly define your clinical/research question or problem before using this tool.

About EPOCH resources

EPOCH resources provide two broad types of health research:

Filtered research

Also called secondary or pre-appraised research. This is synthesised or summarised evidence drawing from evaluated primary, single studies on a topic.

Examples of filtered research are evidence summaries, guidelines, systematic/scoping reviews and meta-analyses.

Unfiltered research

Also called primary research. This body of evidence consists of original, single studies that require critical appraisal or evaluation by the reader.

Examples of unfiltered research are controlled trials, cohort studies, qualitative studies, and case-control studies.

Image of the evidence-based practice 6S Pyramid model indicating the bottom level is primary, unfiltered research and the quality of evidence increasing, moving up the next five levels of filtered, pre-appraised research.

The 6S Pyramid model

The 6S Pyramid model arranges all available research into a six-level hierarchy. The bottom level represents unfiltered, primary research.

As you move up through the five levels of filtered research, the methodological quality of evidence and its ability to guide practitioner action increases.

Using the Guided Search

Guide your decision-making or research by starting at the highest possible level of the 6S Pyramid to check if the body of evidence on your topic is synthesised and appraised in an EPOCH resource.

Work down the 6S Pyramid through the different levels of filtered research and search for primary single studies as the last option.

*Filtered Research pre-appraises primary research but it is recommended that an appraisal checklist is used to verify the quality of Guidelines and Systematic Reviews.

This Guide adapts

  1. DiCenso, Bayley and Haynes. (2009). Accessing preappraised evidence: Fine-tuning the 5S model into a 6S model. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(6), JC3.
  2. McMaster University Health Sciences Library. (2022, July 26). Resources for evidence-based practice: The 6S pyramid. McMaster University. https://hslmcmaster.libguides.com/ebm
Systems

 

The ideal source of evidence for decision-making. SYSTEMS integrate information from the lower levels of the 6S Pyramid with patients' electronic health records.

Also called Computerised Decision Support Systems these are outside the scope of EPOCH.

Skip to the next level on the 6S Pyramid Level 5 Summaries.

Summaries

 

Regularly updated guidelines and summaries that integrate evidence-based information for whole clinical/health topics.

To determine quality and methodological rigour of a guideline use the AGREE II Instrument.

TRIP Database

EPOCH's meta-search engine TRIP allows searching for evidence across multiple resources at all levels of the 6S Pyramid.

Use for

  • Guidelines

Point of care

DynaMed

Clinical decision support tool for quick evidence at the point of care.

Use for

  • Summaries
  • Guidelines

UpToDate [Onsite Only]

Clinical decision support tool for quick evidence at the point of care.

Use for

  • Summaries
  • Guidelines

JBI EBP Database

Clinical point of care resources for all specialties.

Use for

  • Evidence summaries
  • Recommended practices
  • Best practice information sheets

Therapeutic Guidelines

Australian clinical decision support tool for quick evidence at the point of care.

Use for

  • Summaries
  • Guidelines

HealthPathways Tasmania [Onsite Only]

Localised best practice assessment and management.

Use for

  • Pathways
  • Guidelines

ClinicalKey Clinical Overviews [Onsite Only]

Comprehensive clinical topic summaries.

Use for

  • Summaries

Guidelines

EPOCH Specialty Guides

Browse selected national and international guidelines organised by specialties.

NICE Guidance

UK guidelines, quality standards and advice to guide decisions in health, public health and social care.

MEDLINE Guidelines Search Filter

Apply a pre-made GUIDELINES search strategy in core biomedical research database MEDLINE.

CINAHL Guidelines Search Filter

Apply a pre-made GUIDELINES search strategy in nursing and allied health research database CINAHL.

EPOCH A-Z Guidelines & Standards

Browse EPOCH's directory of guidelines and standards.

Synopses of Syntheses

 

Summaries of systematic reviews. Evidence at this level often provides sufficient information to support practitioner action.

TRIP Database

EPOCH's meta-search engine TRIP allows searching for evidence across multiple resources at all levels of the 6S Pyramid.

Use for

  • Synopses

Databases

Campbell Collaboration

Provides plain language summaries of Campbell Collaboration social care and welfare systematic reviews.

Cochrane Plain Language Summaries

Provides summaries that aid translation of findings in Cochrane systematic reviews.

HealthEvidence.org

Provides summaries of selected systematic reviews on effectiveness of public health and health promotion interventions.

Abstract journals

Journals that provide a summary and clinical commentary about selected high-quality systematic reviews.

Other

Canada's Drug & Health Technology Evidence Bundles

Topic-specific summaries of high-quality systematic reviews.

Sax Institute Evidence Checks

Concise summaries of evidence on specific issues that inform Australian health policies, programs and services.

Syntheses

 

A comprehensive synthesis of all the evidence surrounding a specific research question.

To determine quality and value for practice of an evidence synthesis use CASP checklist for Systematic Reviews.

TRIP Database

EPOCH's meta-search engine TRIP allows searching for evidence across multiple resources at all levels of the 6S Pyramid.

Use for

  • Systematic reviews

Databases

JBI EBP Database

Clinical point of care resources for all specialties.

Use for

  • Scoping reviews
  • Systematic reviews

AHRQ Evidence-Based Practice Center Reports

Healthcare quality and effectiveness reviews.

Campbell Collaboration

Social care and welfare evidence syntheses.

Cochrane Library

Gold-standard quality systematic reviews, meta-analyses and controlled trials.

Cochrane Neonatal Reviews

Interventions and treatment for neonatal diseases or problems.

OTseeker

Occupational therapy interventions and treatment.

PEDro

Physiotherapy interventions and treatment.

PubMed Clinical Queries

Systematic reviews for clinical or disease-specific topics.

EPOCH A-Z Evidence-Based Practice

Browse EPOCH's directory of resources that publish evidence syntheses.

Other

CINAHL Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses Search Filter

Apply a pre-made SYSTEMATIC REVIEW search strategy in nursing and allied health research database CINAHL.

MEDLINE Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses Search Filter

Apply a pre-made SYSTEMATIC REVIEW search strategy in core biomedical research database MEDLINE.

Synopses of Single Studies

 

Summaries of evidence in single high-quality studies.

TRIP Database

EPOCH's meta-search engine TRIP allows searching for evidence across multiple resources at all levels of the 6S Pyramid.

Use for

  • Synopses

Abstract journals

Journals that provide a summary and clinical commentary about selected single studies.

Other

NIHR Evidence

Plain language summaries of health and social care research funded by the UK National Institute for Health & Care Research.

Canada's Drug & Health Technology Evidence Bundles

Topic-specific summaries of high-quality research.

Single Studies

 

Unique primary research conducted to answer specific questions.

To determine quality and value for practice of a study use an appropriate critical appraisal tool from CASP Checklists.

TRIP Database

EPOCH's meta-search engine TRIP allows searching for evidence across multiple resources at all levels of the 6S Pyramid.

Use for

  • Randomised controlled trials and other high-quality primary research

Research databases

PubMed Clinical Queries

Clinical trials for clinical- or disease-specific topics.

MEDLINE

Principal database across all biomedical specialties.

Embase

Principal database of biomedical and pharmaceutical research.

CINAHL

Nursing and allied health research.

Ovid Emcare

Nursing and allied health research.

EPOCH A-Z Research Databases

Browse EPOCH's directory of research databases.