Additional resources include dictionaries and links to Medline and the National Institutes of Health. The database provides abstracts of clinical study protocols and supplies a summary of the study's purpose, recruiting status, criteria for patient participation, and a variety of other study-specific information. The NLM has created easy and free access to evidence-based care for all practitioners and clinicians. Patients and family members often obtain information from the NLM or related links when confronting illness or surgery. Resources such as these make it easy for clinicians to review the pertinent literature when questions are raised.
Many busy clinicians use evidence-based protocols or practice guidelines when providing care.
Both clinicians and patients can easily access evidence-based protocols using the Internet. The NGC also provides information about how each guideline was developed and either full text of the guideline or information on how to obtain the guideline. This free, searchable database makes it possible for users to conduct searches based on guideline topics, developers, and other criteria. Thousands of guidelines eventually will be indexed on this site, supporting clinical decision-making about appropriate health care for specific health conditions. Cochrane Library of Databases.