BLOG: UpToDate a useful tool for evidence-based decision-making

Evidence-based medicine has become the backbone of modern medicine. It makes our care safer and more effective; however, it is time-consuming to keep up with all the latest research and know what to trust. UpToDate is one of the leading online resources in evidence-based medicine, which is becoming increasingly relevant in ophthalmology.

I got to know UpToDate during my clinical rotation in internal medicine in which we used it actively for both diagnosis and treatment. Initially, it covered only a limited number of eye diseases, and mainly from the internists’ point of view. However, UpToDate is growing and becoming more relevant for ophthalmologists.

Each article covers a topic in depth, providing everything from epidemiology and pathophysiology to prognosis and treatment. The articles are frequently updated with well-explained recommendations and references that are easily available. UpToDate excels in theoretical topics such as giant cell arteritis and retinoblastoma. Surgical topics, on the other hand, could be improved. The site could contain more pictures, and these could appear in the article instead of a separate page that you reach after having clicked on a link.

You will need a subscription to access UpToDate, which costs $495 per year. It is quite steep, but maybe you already have access to it at your workplace. If not, then I think it is a worthwhile investment if you work with diagnostics and medical treatment, but maybe less so if surgical treatments are your main field of interest.

For more information:

Helgi David Björnsson, MD, runs a website with a collection of his favorite finds on Ophtholinks.com. He can be reached at email: helgidavid@gmail.com.