Bidding farewell to HDAS and the NICE Evidence Search

As you are probably aware, NICE have taken the decision to close down both the Healthcare Databases Advance Search (HDAS) and the Evidence Search services as of the 31st of March 2022.

HDAS has been a key fixture of database searching for many years, allowing access to all the available databases through a single interface.

For more on the closure of HDAS, NICE has a page which includes information on how to export your saved searches.

From the 1st of April users will need to search using the different interfaces provided by the database suppliers. All of the databases you could previously search in HDAS are easily accessible via the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub with an OpenAthens password.

We have developed a user guide for each of the interfaces which you can find below:

• EBSCO interface for CINAHL
• OVID interface for Medline, Embase, Emcare, AMED, Social Policy & Practice, and HMIC
• ProQuest Interface for PsycInfo

We are also offering training to support users in making the transition to the new interfaces. Contact us if you would like to have some help with searching.

At the same time NICE are also closing their Evidence Search service. Sadly there is not a direct replacement for this, but the TRIP database is similar and well worth a look. You can also find some of the same content via the NHS Knowledge and Library Hub.

If you have any questions or need any help, please contact one of the libraries.

You can now access the TRIP Pro database via OpenAthens

Previously, the Pro version of the TRIP database (which has more search features and lots of additional content) was only accessible when connected to an NHS computer, as it was IP authenticated. 

TRIP has now enabled OpenAthens access, which means you can now use TRIP Pro from anywhere if you log in with your OpenAthens account.

If you don't already have an OpenAthens account, Trust staff and students can register online here. We also have a handy short guide to registration on our website here.

If you aren't already familiar with it, TRIP is a UK clinical database designed to allow clinicians to find the best evidence to answer their clinical questions.

TRIP presents search results in a hierarchy based on the level of evidence, so you always see the highest quality information, for example, systematic reviews or metaanalysis, first (but you can sort the results by date or relevance too).

TRIP has an easy to use simple search, but TRIP Pro also offers two other ways to search in a more sophisticated way.

The advanced search option is very similar to the same feature in Google and allows you to combine search terms in different ways to find the information you want (including phrase searching, limiting by year and excluding words).

The PICO (Patient/Population Intervention Comparison Outcome) interface allows you easily break your search down into its most important elements which is really useful when answering a clinical question.

The TRIP Pro PICO search

You can find out more about the search features on TRIP here.

A great resource for finding high quality health information, TRIP is a great starting point for any literature search...

TRIP Pro access extended for NHS staff in England

Health Education England have renewed the subscription for the premium version of TRIP until the end of March 2019.

If you aren't already familiar with it, TRIP is a UK clinical database designed to allow clinicians to find the best evidence to answer their clinical questions.

TRIP presents search results in a hierarchy based on the level of evidence, so you always see the highest quality information, for example, systematic reviews or metaanalysis, first (but you can sort the results by date or relevance too).

TRIP has an easy to use simple search, but TRIP Pro also offers two other ways to search in a more sophisticated way.

The advanced search option is very similar to the same feature in Google and allows you to combine search terms in different ways to find the information you want (including phrase searching, limiting by year and excluding words).

The PICO (Patient/Population Intervention Comparison Outcome) interface allows you easily break your search down into its most important elements which is really useful when answering a clinical question.

TRIP Pro is only accessible from an NHS computer (via its IP address). When accessing the site you should see the message about your account being provided by Health Education England as below.

TRIP is still accessible for free outside of the NHS, but with more limited search functionality.

A great resource for finding high quality health information, TRIP is a great starting point for any literature search...

Access to TRIP Pro extended for 2017

www.tripdatabase.com

Health Education England have funded access to the premium version of TRIP until the end of December 2017.

If you aren't already familiar with it, TRIP is a UK clinical database designed to allow clinicians to find the best evidence to answer their clinical questions.

TRIP presents search results in a hierarchy based on the level of evidence, so you always see the highest quality information, for example, systematic reviews or metaanalysis, first (but you can sort the results by date or relevance too).

TRIP has an easy to use simple search, but also offers two other ways to search in a more sophisticated way.

The advanced search option is very similar to the same feature in Google and allows you to combine search terms in different ways to find the information you want (including phrase searching, limiting by year and excluding words).

The PICO (Patient/Population Intervention Comparison Outcome) interface allows you easily break your search down into its most important elements which is really useful when answering a clinical question.

TRIP Pro is only accessible from an NHS computer (via its IP address). When accessing the site you should see the message about your account being provided by Health Education England as below.

TRIP is still accessible for free outside of the NHS, but with more limited search functionality.

A great resource for finding high quality health information, TRIP is a great starting point for any literature search...

Web site of the month: TRIP

Here at the Library Service we have been fans of the TRIP (Turning Research Into Practice) database for many years.

TRIP is a UK clinical search engine designed to allow clinicians to find the best evidence to answer their clinical questions.

TRIP has an easy to use simple search, but also offers two other ways to search in a more sophisticated way.

The advanced search option is very similar to the same feature in Google and allows you to combine search terms in different ways to find the information you want (including phrase searching, limiting by year and excluding words).

The PICO (Patient/Population Intervention Comparison Outcome) interface allows you easily break your search down into its most important elements which is really useful when answering a clinical question.

TRIP's PICO search 

Once you have found your results TRIP offers different filters so you can further narrow down your results by type of evidence (systematic reviews, guidelines, primary research etc).

As well as searching for evidence, TRIP searches other sorts of content which is displayed in your results including images, videos, education/CPD material, information for patients and news items. Each is displayed on its own tab, again allowing easy filtering of your results.

TRIP is free to use and doesn't require any passwords, but there are some  advantages to logging in to it (which you can do via Facebook or Twitter, as well as setting up your own account manually).

If you add Northamptonshire Healthcare or Northampton General Hospital as your organisation when you set up your account, you will be able to click through any links to journal articles and see if you can access them via the Library Service's electronic holdings (you will still need to log in with your Open Athens account to access the actual article).

Once you have signed in, TRIP will create a timeline of your activity on the site so you can easily revisit any searches you have previously undertaken. You can even export your timeline as a .PDF file to use it as evidence of CPD.

TRIP is a great resource, easy to use, accurate, fast and much more flexible than the NICE Evidence Services site, offering more sophisticated searching and better personalisation.

You can find TRIP at www.tripdatabase.com

Library information skills programme for 2014

"If only I'd done the library training..."

Need to find some information to inform your practice? Need to make a decision but can't find the evidence? Found the evidence but not sure of it's validity? We can help.

All of our training programme dates for 2014 are now available on the Library's web site.

Our courses are free to access for staff and attached students from Northamptonshire Healthcare and Northampton General Hospital.

Our courses are aimed at both clinicians and managers who want to be able to find and use the best possible evidence to support their decision making.

The courses run at a variety of locations including the Berrywood and Northampton General hospitals, as well as Bevan House in Kettering.

Evidence for Health is a great introduction to finding high quality health information on the Internet. The course is totally hands on and takes in sites such as NICE Evidence Services and TRIP, as well as looking at more advanced searching options in Google.

If you need to find journal articles our Literature Searching course can help. This will enable you to effectively search healthcare databases such as Medline, the British Nursing Index and HMIC (healthcare management) to find the information you need and even retrieve full text electronic journal articles.

"The confidence interval you say?"

Of course, once you have found the information you need to know how to assess it and our Critical Appraisal skills workshops can help.

Our Introduction to Critical Appraisal will give you a basic understanding of the terminology and process, whilst our highly interactive Critical Appraisal in Action session gives you the opportunity to appraise a piece of research in a group facilitated by a librarian. 

It doesn't end with our published programme though. We can also create a tailored session for your department and can also do one to one sessions if you can't make any of our dates, and we can even come to you. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a session.

New controlled trials search feature on TRIP

www.tripdatabase.com

The TRIP database has a new feature to filter your search results for controlled trials and exclude other types of research.

TRIP also has lots of other really useful features including a search option that allows you to construct your enquiry using the PICO (Patient ,Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) framework and lots of other filters to identify the type of information you are looking for.

The TRIP database is a flexible, easy to use, searching service linking to high quality medical information and we highly recommend it as a more sophisticated alternative to the NHS Evidence search.

All new TRIP database

www.tripdatabase.com

The popular, free to use TRIP (Turning Research Into Practice) database has had a major overhaul and been relaunched.

TRIP has an easy to use basic search, as well some new features including a useful advanced search option and an innovative PICO (Patient/Population Intervention Comparison Outcome) search interface that easily helps you to break your search down into its most important elements and is useful for highly focused clinical questions.

The new PICO interface

 As well as searching for evidence, TRIP includes other kinds of content including videos, images, patient information leaflets and news. All of these are displayed on different tabs, allowing easy filtering of your search results. You can also filter your results by the type of evidence (systematic reviews, guidelines, primary research etc).

TRIP can also be used as a current awareness service. If you register with the site you can receive a monthly email of new content relating to your clinical speciality or area(s) of interest.

If you want to know more the screen cast with commentary below gives a brief rundown of all the latest features.


TRIP is an easy to use search tool with some powerful new features and is highly recommended as an alternative to NHS Evidence.

Latest version of the TRIP database launched

www.tripdatabase.com

The TRIP (Turning Research Into Practice) Database is a UK clinical search engine designed to allow clinicians to quickly find answers to their clinical questions using the best available evidence.  

TRIP offers a useful alternative to the NHS Evidence search engine.

TRIP is free to use and no passwords are required, but if you register you will have access to some additional functionality such as CPD, search history, and collaborative tools.

There are a number of new features including:

• Incorporating new content including medical education, and patient decision aids as well as enhanced content from social media and videos (now over 6,100)
• Clinical trials are now highlighted via a link to clinicaltrials.gov. If you go through to the site it shows the trials for your subject and what stage they have reached. There is a tab, "Results on map" which shows you where the trial has been conducted (and therefore which are UK trials).
• Clinical calculators related to the search terms are now displayed. 
• The ability to restrict the results to new research (from the last month) only.
• The site is significantly faster
• New results page design
• DOI (Digital object identifier) is displayed, this is to facilitate the identification of full-text articles.
• Translate introduced, allowing users to translate the search results and subsequent links into one of six languages (Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Welsh).  

You can find TRIP at: www.tripdatabase.com